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INDIANA  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 


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on  March  8,  1915,  creating  the  Indiana  Historical  Commission,  assigned  to 
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INDIANA  HISTORICAL  COMMISSION. 
SAMUEL  M.  RALSTON,  PRESIDENT 
FRANK  B.  WYNN,  VICE-PRESIDENT 
HARLOW  LINDLEY,  SECRETARY 
JAMES  A.  WOODBURN 
CHARLES  W.  MOORES 
SAMUEL  M.  FOSTER 
JOHN  CAVANAUGH 
CHARITY  DYE 
LEW  M.  O'BANNON 


PUBLICATION  COMMITTEE 
JAMES  A.  WOODBURN 
CHARLES  W.  MOORED 
HARLOW  LINDLEY 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN 
INDIANA 


A  Collection  of  Folk-Songs  and  Games  with 

Descriptive  Introduction,  and 

Correlating  Notes 


BY 

LEAH  JACKSON  WOLFORD,  M.  A. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

INDIANA  HISTORICAL  COMMISSION 

INDIANAPOLIS 
1916 


College 
Library 

GV 

122.5" 


Copyright  Nineteen  Hundred  and  Sixteen 
by  the  Indiana  Historical  Commission 


1284617 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 

I  have  attempted  to  give  credit  throughout  this  book  to  the 
individuals  who  have  sung  to  me  these  traditional  songs  and  de- 
scribed the  accompanying  games.  Yet  there  are  several  other 
persons  who  have  assisted  greatly  in  reducing  this  material  to  the 
printed  page.  To  Miss  Mable  K.  Pearse,  private  teacher  of  the 
Bentham  rhythm  work  in  Chicago,  I  express  my  gratitude  for 
assistance  in  writing  the  description  of  a  number  of  the  games. 
Mrs.  Edward  F.  White  has  read  through  the  manuscript  and 
made  a  number  of  improvements  in  the  form  of  it.  Finally, 
especial  mention  is  due  to  Professor  A.  H.  Tolman,  of  the  University 
of  Chicago,  whose  enthusiasm  for  ballad  and  epic  poetry  interested 
me  in  this  study,  and  whose  criticisms  on  this  work  have  been 
invaluable. 

LEAH  JACKSON  WOLFORD. 


CONTENTS 

PART  I 

PAGE 

The  Play-Party  and  its  Environment 11 

The  Play-Party  in  Indiana  a  Generation  Ago 11 

The  Play-Party  in  Indiana  at  Present 15 

PART  II 
Play-Party  Songs  and  Games — 

Introductory  Note 19 

Glossary  to  Part  II 19 

List  of  Games — 

All  Chaw  Hay  on  the  Corner 21 

All  Go  Down  to  Rowser's 22 

Billy  Boy 24 

Black  the  Boots • 25 

Captain  Jinks 27 

Chase  the  Buffalo 29 

Chase  the  Squirrel 30 

Cincinnati  Girls 32 

Coffee  Grows  in  a  White  Oak  Tree 33 

Cuckoo  Waltz 36 

Dem  Golden  Slippers 38 

Down  in  Jay  Bird  Town 39 

Down  the  River 40 

Down  to  New  Orleans 41 

Farmer  in  the  Well 42 

Getting  Married 43 

Getting  Upstairs 44 

The  Girl  I  Left  Behind  Me 46 

Go  in  and  out  the  Windows 47 

Go  to  Boston 49 

Green-Leaf 49 

Hay-o-my-Lucy-o 51 

Here  Come  Four  Dukes  A-Riding 52 

Here  Comes  A  Queen  from  Dover 55 

Here  We  Go  Round  the  Mulberry  Bush 56 

I'm  a  Poor  Old  Chimney  Sweeper 58 

Itiskit 59 

Jersey  Boy 61 

Kilamakrankie 61 

King  William  Was  King  Jamie's  Son 62 

London  Bridge 64 

Marching  to  Quebec 65 

Melven  Vine 66 

(9) 


10 
CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Miller  Boy 67 

Molly  Brooks 71 

Needle's  Eye 72 

No  Sir 73 

Nora  Darling 75 

Old  Brass  Wagon 76 

Old  Dan  Tucker 78 

Old  Sister  Phoebe 80 

Pig  in  the  Parlor 81 

Polly  Put  the  Kettle  On 83 

Pop  Goes  the  Weasel . 83 

Sailor 85 

Sally  Walker 86 

Six  Little  Girls  A-Sliding  Went 88 

Skip-to-My-Lou 89 

Star  Promenade. , 91 

There  Goes  Topsy  Through  the  Window 92 

There  Was  an  Old  Woman  in  Ireland 93 

Thus  the  Farmer  Sows  his  Seed 94 

Tideo 96 

Uncle  Johnie's  Sick  A-Bed 97 

Wait  for  the  Wagon _ 1 98 

Walk  Along,  John 100 

Way  Down  in  the  Pawpaw  Patch 101 

Weevily  Wheat 102 

Traces  of  British  Influence  in  Play-Party  Melodies 106 

PART  III 

Classification  of  Play-Party  Games — 

On  the  Basis  of  Age  of  Players 110 

On  the  Basis  of  Dramatic  Features Ill 

Oy  the  Basis  of  Dance  Formation 1 12 

On  the  Basis  of  Geographical  Location 1 14 

Bi  bliography — 

Periodicals 116 

Books..  .  118 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA 

PART  I. 

THE  PLAY-PARTY  AND  ITS   ENVIRONMENT. 

The  play-party  is  a  distinct  kind  of  social  entertainment,  just 
as  is  the  card-party  or  the  dance.  Yet  it  is  unlike  these  amusements 
in  extent,  for  it  flourishes  only  in  a  certain  environment.  The 
conditions  in  Indiana  have  recently  grown  unfavorable  and  it  is 
only  in  a  few  remote  districts  that  the  play-party  has  not  been 
lost  and  even  forgotten. 

I  shall  first  give  a  brief  description  of  the  country  and  settlers 
of  Ripley  County,  as  this  is  a  typical  locality  in  which  it  survives; 
next,  consider  the  social  significance  of  this  sort  of  party;  then, 
try  to  picture  it  as  my  parents  have  known  it,  an.d  finally  as  I, 
myself,  have  seen  it. 

The  southern  half  of  this  county  is  cut  up  by  swiftly-flowing 
creeks  and  high  hills,  which  have  served  to  isolate  the  different 
communities  and  to  disconnect  the  whole  district  from  the  outside 
world.  For  many  years  after  the  opening  of  the  state,  settlers 
did  not  come  to  this  county  in  large  numbers.  The  only  induce- 
ment to  laborers  was  agriculture,  and  much  of  the  land  was  rocky 
and  heavily  forested,  while  the  clay  soil  would  not  produce 
good  crops  without  careful  cultivation.  Almost  every  road  led 
over  rocky  hills,  and  for  long  distances  followed  the  rough,  lime- 
stone creek-bed,  while  those  on  the  levels  were  appropriately  called 
"mud  roads." 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  dwellers  among  these  hills  would  be 
dependent  upon  their  own  resources  for  amusements.  Towns  of 
any  size  were  far  apart.  In  fact,  there  is,  at  present,  in  the  south- 
ern half  of  the  county,  no  town  of  more  than  seven  hundred  in- 
habitants and  there  are  localities  here  eighteen  miles  from  the 
nearest  railroad  line. 

Although  most  of  the  people  came  from  Ohio,  Pennsylvania, 
Virginia  and  Kentucky,  yet  they  brought  with  them,  into  this 
new  country,  the  peculiar  traditions  and  customs  of  the  old  world; 

(ID 


12  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

some  of  these  we  recognize  as  Scotch,  many  as  Irish,  others 
German,  but  most  of  them  as  English.  Old  people,  whose  memo- 
ries reach  back  to  the  earliest  days  of  these  settlements,  tell  us 
that  the  play-party  has  always  been  the  country  amusement. 
We  have  reason  to  suspect  that  its  origin  was  not  in  America, 
and  from  the  nationalities  of  the  people,  we  get  a  suggestion  as  to 
the  probable  sources. 

But  for  the  history  of  these  play-party  games,  religion  was 
almost  as  important  as  nationality.  These  people  were  Quakers, 
Disciples,  Methodists,  Baptists  or  Presbyterians  as  to  creed,  but 
they  were  one  in  opposing  the  dance  as  a  wicked  sport.  Most  of 
these  scrupulous  consciences  did  not,  however,  detect  anything 
wrong  in  the  traditional  "playing  games"  of  the  young  people. 
If  these  were  follies  they  were  time-honored.  Parents  and  grand- 
parents had  enjoyed  them,  and  with  this  for  recommendation 
they  were  usually  free  from  the  suspicion  of  evil. 

Yet  there  was  another  reason  for  the  importance  of  the  play- 
party  and  the  absence  of  the  dance.  Musical  instruments, — even 
the  famous  old  "fiddle" — were  usually  lacking.  Parlor  organs 
were  almost  unknown  and  were  highly  discredited,  "because", 
in  the  words  of  my  grandfather,  "a  music-box1  would  spile  the 
gals,  and  a  stuck-up  sissy  wud  make  no  man  a  good  hep-mate." 
Fortunately  for  the  play-party,  it  had  no  need  of  instrumental 
music. 

The  importance  of  these  social  gatherings  can  scarcely  be  over- 
rated, because  the  occasions  for  the  coming  together  of  the  people 
were  so  few.  There  was  "meeting"  at  the  country  church,  and  here 
a  girl  might  very  properly  go,  every  second  Sunday  night,  with  a 
neighbor  boy,  provided  always  that  her  brother  rode  on  horse- 
back behind  them.  There  were,  of  course,  the  husking-bees,  the 
apple-cuttings,  the  carpet-tackings,  in  their  seasons,  and  the 
county  fair  for  two  days  every  August;  but  the  play-party  was  the 
one  rural  merry-making  which  did  not  have  a  financial  side  to 
recommend  it. 

The  old-time  play-party  began  at  sun-down.  From  ten  miles 
around  the  people  would  come, — whole  families  bumping  along  in 
the  big  jolt-wagon,  young  men  on  horseback,  several  of  them 
having  their  fair  partners  for  the  game  seated  securely  behind 
them;  and  finally  came  the  near  neighbors  picking  their  ways 
through  the  cornfields. 

1.     Organ. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  13 

But  preparations  had  also  been  going  on  at  the  farm  house. 
In  the  "spare-room"  the  rag  carpet  had  been  lifted,  not  because  it 
was  too  smooth  for  the  games,  but  because  the  rough  boots  and 
coarse  shoes  of  the  players  wore  it  out.  Around  this  same  room, 
heavy  blocks  of  wood  held  up  long  boards,  which  made  a  bench 
for  the  lookers-on.  In  the  kitchen  a  roaring  fire  was  kept  in  the 
fireplace;  here  the  parents  and  children  were  to  stay.  Usually 
there  were  fewer  old  people  than  young;  yet  there  were  enough 
men  to  discuss  the  prospective  crops,  the  coming  election,  the 
slavery  question  and  predestination;  and  plenty  of  women  there 
were  to  pop  the  corn  over  the  coals,  crack  the  walnuts,  wash 
the  winesaps,  cut  the  cakes,  and  watch  the  babies. 

About  dusk  the  first  players  arrive.  The  girls  at  once  retire 
to  the  bedroom  to  slip  off  their  long  black  calico  riding  skirts 
and  to  leave  their  heavy  wraps.  The  boys'  overcoats  and  c&ps, 
too,  are  piled  on  the  bed  and  now  all  are  ready  to  play.  There 
is  no  need  to  wait  for  ceremony.  Thaddeus  knows  Josie,  and 
Josie  knows  Hiram.  Receiving  line  and  formal  introductions 
are  far  from  the  spirit  of  the  play-party.  The  first  four  players 
are  not  slow  in  starting  the  games  with  the  old  drinking  song,  "All 
Go  Down  to  Rowser's."  Others  arrive,  and  in  spite  of  the  dim 
candle-light  and  the  increasing  confusion,  each  boy  can  easily 
pick  out  the  favorite  girl,  in  the  fairest  muslin  dress,  to  be  his 
partner  for  the  next  set.  A  few  rounds  of  "Old  Dan  Tucker" 
are  immediately  succeeded  by  "Needle's  Eye",  "Skip-to-My- 
Lou"  and  "We're  Marching  Down  to  Old  Quebec."  Several 
couples  silently  drop  out  when  "Weevily  Wheat"  is  named  as  the 
next,  for  it  is  played  like  the  dance  Virginia  Reel,  and  offends  the 
more  scrupulous  consciences.  A  stanza  from  a  Texas  version 
echoes  this  feeling, — 

Take  a  lady  by  her  hand, 

Lead  her  like  a  pigeon, 

Make  her  dance  the  Weevily  Wheat, 

She  loses  her  religion.2 

The  hours  go  quickly  and  there  is  always  reluctance  to  stop, 
for  the  next  game  may  bring  as  partner  the  best  player  in  the 
crowd,  another  set  may  mean  a  kiss  from  the  girl  who  is  secretly 
most  admired.  There  is  a  fascination  in  the  singing,  in  the 
rhythmic  movement  of  the  dance  and  in  the  significant  acting, 
which  has  no  exact  parallel  in  other  amusements. 

2.     This  is  described  below  under  the  game,  "Weevily  Wheat." 


14  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

A  teacher  of  the  new  dance  steps  would  never  have  called  the 
movement  dancing,  nor  could  the  critical  magazine  editor  have 
been  surprised  into  calling  the  words  poetry.  There  was  a  rhythm 
to  the  whole  thing,  a  certain  keeping  time  to  the  music,  but 
this  rhythm  was  almost  as  much  of  the  arms,  head  and  body  as 
of  the  feet.  The  players  bowed,  they  knelt,  they  kissed,  they 
promenaded,  they  swung,  each  keeping  time  to  the  singing  in 
whatever  way  his  innate  sense  of  dance  directed.  The  walking, 
the  running,  the  skipping  and  the  promenade  steps  could  all  be 
recognized,  but  the  players  did  not  all  use  the  same.  The  impres- 
sion which  a  visitor  would  get  from  the  dance  was  that  of  a  jumble 
of  old  dance  steps,  all  in  time,  yet  related  in  no  other  way.  In 
the  promenade  a  few  couples  two-stepped,  but  they  were  pointed 
out  as  doubtful  characters,  and  probably  had  attended  real 
"hoe-downs."3 

What  did  they  sing?  Oh,  that  was  of  the  least  importance. 
Whence  the  words  had  come,  no  one  knew,  and  certainly  no  one 
cared  to  question.  They  were  the  stanzas  which  belonged  to 
the  game,  and  those  which  had  given  it  its  name.  They  were 
queer,  not  always  intelligible,  and  little  more  than  directions 
for  the  dance  in  many  instances.  Yet  they  were  always  gay. 
Many  of  these  songs  had  been  taught  to  members  of  this  group 
by  individuals  from  other  communities.  The  only  requirement 
was  that  the  words  indicate,  or  at  least  conform  to  the  movements 
of  the  dance.  Since  the  refrain  alone  usually  accomplished  this, 
the  singers  were  at  liberty  to  use  the  traditional  stanzas  or  .to  im- 
provise others  to  suit  the  occasion.  It  was  customary  to  have  all 
of  the  verses  conform  to  a  simple  rhyme-scheme,  but  even  this 
was  not  obligatory.4 

Tired  by  the  strenuous  movement  of  the  games,  a  couple 
might  retire  to  the  kitchen  or  to  the  bench  for  on-lookers,  and 
"sit  out  one  set";  especially  was  this  the  practice  when  the  two 
were  engaged  and  disliked  to  "play"  with  other  partners.  Yet 
this  plan  had  to  be  used  with  discretion,  for  a  frequent  resort 
to  it  laid  them  open  to  the  suspicion  of  being  "sweethearts",  and 
so  to  the  taunts  of  all  of  the  others. 

About  midnight  the  plentiful  yet  inexpensive  refreshments 
were  passed  around  and  enjoyed.  Soon  after  this  the  parents 
gathered  together  their  sleeping  children,  gave  the  usual  series  of 

3.  The  local  name  for  the '"dance." 

4.  e.  g.     All  Oo  Down  to  Bowser's. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  15 

invitations,  and  in  a  short  time  the  big  wagons  were  rumbling 
on  their  way  homeward. 

But  in  the  spare-room  the  dancers  continued  their  games 
until  the  boys  without  "girls"  had  each  summoned  enough  courage 
to  ask  his  partner  if  he  might  "see  her  home  safe",  or  until  the 
head  of  the  house,  in  a  rough  voice  called  out  the  hour.  Hasty 
departure  was  a  relief  in  that  awkward  moment.  While  the  boys 
fetched  the  horses,  the  girls  slipped  on  their  riding  skirts.  In  an 
incredibly  short  time  each  girl  was  mounted  sidewise  behind  her 
partner,  and  all  were  riding  away,  some  talking  about  the  party, 
others  singing  old  time  ballads,  and  several  couples  enjoying  a 
lively  horse-race. 

The  same  play-party  lives  still  in  this  and  a  few  other  com- 
munities of  Indiana.  When  the  neighborhood  contains  a  lively 
crowd  of  young  people  between  the  ages  of  thirteen  and  twenty- 
two,  this  form  of  amusement  flourishes.  In  the  summer  of  1915, 
before  the  August  camp-meetings  began,  there  were  about  two 
parties  a  week,  until  practically  every  family  had  entertained  the 
crowd. 

The  changed  environment  has  given  to  the  play-party  some- 
thing of  a  new  aspect.  Instead  of  sending  a  messenger  on  horse- 
back to  each  house,  announcing  the  party,  as  was  done  a  half 
century  ago,  today  one  need  only  give  the  general  ring  on  the 
farmers'  line  telephone,  and  at  once  the  neighbors  are  listening. 
Practically  all  the  inviting  is  done  by  phone. 

The  hay-wagon  in  summer  and  the  bob-sled  in  the  winter, 
when  sleighing  is  good,  are  prominent  features  of  the  play-party 
today.  The  big  wagon  is  no  longer  a  means  of  conveyance, 
and  only  occasionally  is  a  horseback  rider  to  be  seen.  In  place 
of  these,  there  is  the  rubber-tired  buggy  or  carriage,  drawn  by 
spirited  driving  horses,  and  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  two  or  three 
large  touring  cars  full  of  young  people  and  those  of  middle  age 
unload  in  front  of  the  house  where  the  play-party  is  given. 

In  the  summer  the  entertainers  like  to  set  the  date  by  the  alma- 
nac so  they  will  have  a  moon-light  night.  Often,  Japanese  lanterns 
light  the  smooth,  grassy  lawn  and  make  it  impossible  for  a  stranger- 
guest  to  mistake  the  place.  A  pretty  picture  it  makes,  the 
girls  in  their  starched  white  dresses  and  gay  ribbons,  the  boys  in 
their  Sunday  suits  and  with  ties  in  the  latest  fashion. 

These  players  are  not  less  eager  to  begin  the  games  than  their 
grandparents  were.  So  the  lively  crowd  of  from  four  to  fifty 
dancers  repeat  the  "Old  Dan  Tucker"  and  the  "Weevily  Wheat", 


16  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

which  they  have  inherited,  and  give  to  these  song-dances  a  ring 
of  melody  and  an  unaffected  gracefulness  of  physical  movement, 
which  in  no  way  discredit  the  games  of  sixty  years  ago.  To  the 
old  songs,  many  new  ones  have  been  added,  perhaps  a  number  of 
the  earlier  ones  lost,  several  have  been  turned  over  to  the  children: 
but  of  this  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  more  fully  later. 

If  there  is  a  large  crowd,  other-games  beside  the  regular  play- 
party  dance  are  often  started.  One  group  will  form  a  ring  of  its 
own  and  play  without  music  the  old  favorite,  "Drop  the  Hand- 
kerchief" or  "Three  Deep."  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  not  un- 
usual for  a  select  eight  of  the  best  players  to  leave  the  big  ring  and 
dance  the  progressional,  "All  Go  Down  to  Rowser's",  with  its 
rather  difficult  figures. 

The  kind  of  refreshments  depends  entirely  upon  the  hostess. 
Perhaps  the  most  common  is  a  generous  supply  of  watermelons. 
Ice-cream  and  cake  are  often  served  in  the  yard  and  then  nuts  and 
candies  passed  later.  There  is  one  family  of  well-to-do  farmers, 
however,  which  gives  a  play-party  every  year,  inviting  the  guests 
from  three  towns,  besides  including  a  selected  crowd  of  country 
people  from  ten  miles  away.  The  regular  practice  at  this  home 
is  to  serve  a  hot  dinner,  though  the  number  they  entertain  is  over 
one  hundred.  Nor  is  this  a  fashionable,  light  luncheon.  There 
are  two  or  three  kinds  of  roast  meat,  several  vegetables  in  season, 
often  four  kinds  of  jelly  and  preserves,  pickles  of  several  sorts, 
and  always  a  generous  supply  of  ice-cream  and  cake  at  the  last. 

From  such  a  party  the  boys  seldom  reach  home  before  three  or 
four  o'clock.  Yet  the  lateness  of  the  hour  is  not  allowed  to  inter- 
fere with  work  the  next  day.  The  husky  country  lad  oftentimes 
merely  changes  from  his  Sunday  clothes  to  overalls  and  goes  out 
to  do  the  feeding,  ignoring  till  the  next  night  his  loss  of  sleep. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  people  enjoy  it,  many  things 
are  tending  to  break  down  the  play-party.  One  of  the  most  im- 
portant of  these  is  that  it  must  compete  now  with  other  amuse- 
ments. To  be  sure,  these  are  few  compared  with  the  city.  Only 
in  the  last  year  has  a  moving  picture  show  been  established  at  the 
county  seat,  Versailles,  and  there  is  no  other  to  the  south  for 
twenty-five  miles,  to  the  north  for  five,  to  the  east  for  seven  and  to 
the  west  for  eighteen.  Though  this  comes  only  two  nights  a 
week,  yet  it  draws  large  crowds,  and  these  are  the  very  people 
who  have  given  the  play-parties.  The  pool  table,  too,  has  recently 
attracted  a  few  of  these  country  boys. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  17 

The  camp-meetings  of  the  "Holiness  Church"  continue  for 
about  six  weeks  in  the  late  summer  and  draw  their  crowds  from 
twenty  miles  around.  The  religious  revival  meeting  in  the  woods 
furnishes  a  picnic  place  and  becomes  the  real  social  center  for  the 
young  people.  While  it  lasts  no  play-parties  are  planned. 

The  macadamized  roads,  which  connect  all  of  the  towns  of 
any  importance,  have  in  the  last  few  years  afforded  easy  access  to 
neighboring  communities.  The  former  isolation  exists  no  longer, 
and  the  great  number  of  automobiles,  owned  by  the  farmers, 
tends  to  convert  the  country  districts  into  suburbs  of  the  nearest 
large  town.  The  amusements  of  the  town,  then,  can  easily  be 
those  of  the  young  people  of  rural  communities. 

The  sanction  of  the  play-party  by  most  of  the  early  settlers  we 
have  mentioned.  While  certain  of  these  games  were  regarded 
somewhat  critically  by  parents  two  generations  ago,  many  of  the 
fathers  and  mothers  now  favor  them  as  being  a  check  to  the  grow- 
ing popularity  of  what  they  call  the  "vulgar  modern  dance." 
The  young  people,  however,  do  not  wish  to  see  the  distinction. 

The  attitude  which  the  players  have  toward  these  games,  is 
criticized  by  the  ministers,  who,  with  few  exceptions,  preach  that 
both  the  play-party  and  the  dance  are  on  the  same  plane  with  card- 
playing,  and  must  not  be  countenanced  by  church  members. 
What  the  outcome  will  be  cannot  be  foretold,  but  the  immediate 
effect,  in  this  one  community,  has  been  to  revive  the  play-party. 
Around  the  towns  of  Versailles,  Holton  and  Dillsboro,  it  has  been 
popular  during  the  last  five  years. 

The  high-school  training,  which  the  young  people  must  get 
from  the  town,  does  not  seem  to  have  lessened  their  enjoyment  of 
this  rural  amusement.  In  fact,  many  of  those  who  play  the 
games  and  give  the  parties  are  college  people. 

This  particular  kind  of  dance-game  is  not,  however,  limited 
to  the  play-party  proper.  The  rugged  hills  and  beautiful  valleys 
are  very  inviting  and  give  a  special  attraction  to  all  out-of-door 
sports.  On  moon-light  summer  evenings,  the  young  people  of 
Versailles,  each  with  a  few  ears  of  sugar-corn,  a  sack  of  eggs,  or 
a  chicken,  climb  down  the  steep  hill  to  the  creek  and  there  kindle  a 
bonfire  and  have  what  is  called  a  "roast."  An  out-of-town  guest 
is  usually  the  occasion  of  this  kind  of  merrymaking.  But  the 
roasting  of  corn,  eggs  and  chickens  is  not  the  only,  nor  even  the 
principal  amusement.  No  matter  of  what  social  rank  the  visitor 
may  be,  he  is  always  delighted  with  the  Indian  war  dances  around 
the  great  bonfire,  and  most  of  all,  with  the  play-party  games  as 


18  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

they  are  danced  on  the  blue  grass  meadow.  In  name  only  does 
this  differ  from  the  country  party. 

In  practically  every  public  school  of  central  and  southern 
Ripley  County,  and  especially  in  the  town  schools  where  then- 
are  many  young  people,  one  of  the  most  difficult  problems  of  the 
teacher  is  that  of  solving  skillfully  the  question  of  the  play- 
party  game.  Instead  of  teaching  dance-games  and  folk-dances 
as  is  done  in  so  many  of  the  city  schools,  the  effort  is  made  to  keep 
them  out  entirely.  The  disapproval  of  a  few  of  the  parents  and 
the  hostile  attitude  of  the  minister  toward  these  games,  brings 
to  bear  such  a  pressure  upon  the  school-board  that  it  cannot  afford 
to  hire  a  teacher  who  allows  dancing  and  play-party  games  on  the 
school  ground.  So  it  comes  about  that  pupils  from  the  sixth 
grade  and  on  to  the  twelfth,  steal  away  at  recesses  and  noons  to 
play  in  a  secluded  part  of  the  school-yard,  or  in  a  hall-way,  where 
the  teacher  is  least  likely  to  find  them.  The  play-parties  given 
by  the  older  students  of  the  Holton  High  School  last  winter  and 
also  during  this  last  school  year  (1914-1915)  testify  to  the  con- 
tinuous popularity  of  this  old  time,  yet  modern  form  of  amusement.5 
These  games,  from  all  that  we  can  see,  are  in  this  locality  as  at- 
tractive to  the  young  people  of  the  highest  social  standing  as  they 
have  ever  been. 

It  is  even  more  interesting  to  note  that  this  is  a  revival  of 
interest,  and  has  followed  a  period  of  the  lapse  of  popularity. 
Mr.  Newell  says  that  "these  amusements  came  into  existence 
because  they  were  adapted  to  the  conditions  of  early  life;  they 
pass  away  because  those  conditions  are  altered.  The  taste  of 
other  days  sustained  them."6 

Doubtless  this  is  true  to  the  conditions  in  most  places,  but  the 
young  people  of  Ripley  County,  Indiana,  enjoy  so  thoroughly 
the  traditional  play-party,  with  its  queer  words,  its  romping  dance 
and  dramatic  action,  that  they  are  not  satisfied  with  any  of  the 
modern  substitutes. 


5.  The  play-party  season  of  the  summer  of  1915  began  with  a  lawn  party  in  the 
country  two  miles  from  Versailles  on  May  1 . 

6.  Games  and  songs,  p.  12. 


PART  II. 
PLAY-PARTY  SONGS  AND  GAMES. 

INTRODUCTORY  NOTE. 

The  following  is  a  collection  of  all  of  the  games  which  I  have 
been  able  to  find  in  Ripley  County,  Indiana.  In  many  instances, 
the  words,  the  melodies,  or  the  directions  for  playing  have  been 
published  before,  but  I  think  that  in  every  case,  there  is  some 
variation,  sufficient  to  justify  this  re-statement.  Many  of  the 
play-party  songs  of  this  locality  are  very  similar  to  others  which 
are  widely  known.  In  every  instance  I  have  attempted  to  cite 
all  of  the  variants  which  are  available,  and  to  establish  their  inter- 
relations whenever  the  line  of  development  is  at  all  evident. 

Moreover,  all  of  the 'songs,  excepting  "Marching  to  Quebec," 
are  well  known  in  the  county  and  with  six  exceptions  they  are  all 
played  or  danced  there  at  the  present  time.  "Billy  Boy",  "Nora 
Darling",  and  "No  Sir"  do  not,  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term, 
come  under  the  head  of  play-party  games,  but  they  are  included 
because,  as  dramatic  dialogue-songs  they  seem  to  be  related  to 
the  song  game,  from  the  ballad  side. 

GLOSSARY  TO  PART  II. 

In  these  games,  the  words  are  so  often  indicative  of  the  figures, 
and  are,  to  the  players,  so  much  more  important  than  the  counts 
in  the  music,  that  it  has  seemed  best  to  give  the  directions  with 
reference  to  the  words. 

Swing. — Partners  take  ball-room  position,  (i.  e.,  boy's  right 
hand  at  his  partner's  waist,  his  left  hand  holding  his  partner's 
right  hand,  and  the  girl's  left  hand  on  his  right  arm)  and  turn  on 
spot,  usually  taking  eight  steps. 

Promenade. — The  position  for  this  is  the  same  as  for 
"swing"  except  that  both  face  toward  the  right,  the  inside  shoulders 
(i.  e.,  gentleman's  right  and  lady's  left)  almost  touching,  and  the 
joined  hands  still  hanging  loosely  in  front.  While  promenading, 
partners  skip  to  the  right  around  the  circle. 

(19) 


20  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Long-ways  Dance. — One  in  which  the  first  position  is  as 
follows:  two  parallel  lines  are  formed,  (usually  girls  being  in  one 
line  and  boys  in  the  other)  and  with  partners  facing.  The  lines 
are  four  steps  apart. 

To  cast  off  is  to  turn  outwards  and  proceed  without  one  or 
other  of  the  lines  of  the  dancers;  to  cast  up  or  cast  down  is  to 
dance  up  or  down  inside  the  general  set.1 

Courtesy. — Step  backward  on  the  right  foot;  bend  the  right 
knee,  straighten  left  leg  and  incline  the  body  slightly  forward. 
At  the  same  time  the  skirts  may  be  grasped  at  either  side  and 
spread  sideways. 

Kneel. — Bend  the  left  knee  and  place  the  right  knee  on  the 
floor. 

To  pass  by  the  right  is  to  pass  right  shoulder  to  right  shoul- 
der; by  the  left,  left  shoulder  to  left  shoulder. 

To  lead  is  to  move  forward. 

To  make  a  half  turn  is  to  turn  through  half  a  circle  and  face 
in  the  opposite  direction.2 

To  make  a  whole  turn  means  that  the  dancer  revolves  on  his 
right  foot  as  an  axis  through  a  complete  circle.3 

If  two  players  are  directed  to  take  or  give  right  or  left  hands 
they  are  to  join  right  with  right,  or  left  with  left. 

In  dances  or  figures  in  which  two  couples  only  are  engaged, 
the  terms  contrary  girl  and  contrary  boy  are  used  to  denote 
the  girl  or  boy  other  than  the  partner.4 

The  normal  country  dance  step  is  a  springy  walking  step  (the 
ball  of  the  foot  taking  the  ground  before  the  heel),  two  to  each  bar,' 
executed  by  women  with  a  natural,  unaffected  grace,  and  on  the 
part  of  men  with  a  complacent  bearing  and  certain  jauntiness  of 
manner  which  is  very  difficult  to  describe,  and  which  must,  per- 
haps, be  seen  to  be  appreciated.5 


1.  C.  J.  Sharp.     Country  Dance  Book,  Part  I,  p.  27. 

2.  Ibid.     Part  II,  p.  32. 

3.  Ibid.     Part  II,  p.  32. 

4.  Ibid.      Part  III,  p.  10. 

5.  Ibid.     Part  I II.  p.  27. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


21 


All  Chaw  Hay  on  the  Corner 

Miss  Kena  Bushing,  Johnson  Twp. 


First  young  lady  all  around  in  the  center, all  around  in  ihe  center,all 


around  in  the  center,  First  young  lady    all     around    in  the  center,  And 


bal   -   ance     to     your        part    •    ner        Swing  your  partner   and  we  11 


•    ji 


' 


•1]     run  away,   We'll     all     run  away,  and  we'll    .ill      run   avvay 


Jl  J  U 


P  p 


p 


Swing  your  partner  and  well  all  run  awav.  And  all  chaw  hay  on  ihe  cornt-i 


1 .  First  young  lady  all  around  in  the  center, 

All  around  in  the  center,  all  around  in  the  center, 
First  young  lady  all  around  in  the  center, 

2.  And  balance  to  your  partner. 
Refrain — 

3.  Swing  your  partner  and  we'll  all  run  away, 
We'll  all  run  away,  and  we'll  all  run  away. 
Swing  your  partner  and  we'll  all  run  away, 

4.  And  all  chaw  hay  on  the  corner. 

b.  The  young  people  form  a  circle,  with  each  girl  at  the  right 
of  her  partner  and  all  facing  the  center.  One  of  the  girls  leaves 
the  circle  and  dances  around  in  the  center  during  the  singing  of 
of  1.  At  2,  she  swings  her  partner.  While  singing  3,  all  partners 
swing  and  all  promenade  in  a  circle  to  the  right  (i.  e.,  skip  around  in 
a  circle,  couple  following  couple)  and  all  return  to  their  original 
places,  with  the  exception  of  the  first  girl.  During  the  promenade 
she  is  at  the  left  of  her  partner,  and  in  the  final  formation  of  the 
circle  she  is  also  at  his  left. 

6  To  facilitate  reference  to  the  following  games  the  discussion  has  been  organized 
after  this  plan : 

a.  Music  ana  words. 

b.  Directions  for  playing  the  games. 

c.  Age  of  the  game  and  the  time  of  its  popularity. 

d.  Citations  to  printed  variants,  and  an  interpretation  of  the  historical  or 
mythological  significance  of  the  game, 


22 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  the  next  girl  at  the  right  ot 
the  one  just  mentioned,  in  the  center,  and  continue  repeating 
until  every  girl  has  been  "around  in  the  center,"  and  has  taken 
her  place  at  the  left  of  her  partner.  The  words  change  to  agree. 
Stanza  2  is,  "Second  young  lady  all  around  in  the  center"  and  so  on. 

Repeat  all  from  the  beginning  with  the  first  boy  in  the  center. 
He,  at  the  end  of  this  game,  is  back  in  his  original  position  with 
his  partner  at  his  right.  The  words  are,  accordingly,  "First 
young  gent  all  around  in  the  center,"  "Second  young  gent,"  etc. 
This  second  half  of  the  game  brings  all  of  the  players  back  to  their 
original  positions. 

c.  This  was  a  very  popular  game  in  1909  and  continues  to  be  a 
favorite. 

d.  The  words,  "we'll  all  run  away"  or  "run  away  all"  are  not 
peculiar  to  this  game.     See   Miss   Hamilton's  version  of  "Old 
Brass  Wagon,"    Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  VOL.  XXVII,  p.  293. 

All  Go  Down  to  Rowser's 


^ 

3HM 

j  j'j  j 

J.  J  J'l 

m 

=fr 

*= 

^g 

We'll    all    go  down  to  Row-ser's,  to   Row-ser's,to   Row-ser's, We'll 


.hJ. 


J|J 


J'UJir  r 


all  go  down  to  Row-ser's/Toget  some  la-ger  beer,  Sweet  la-ger    beer, 


J'H+     J'|J       J-      U  J'J 


sour    la-ger    beer,  Court'sy    to  your  part-ner,  Swing  a-roundyour 


J'J  .hJ.  r  p  IJ 


a. 


Ia-dy,  Go  back  and  get  your  part-ner,And  swing  a-round  a  -  gain. 


1.  We'll  all  go  down  to  Rowser's,  to  Rowser's,  to  Rowsers 
We'll  all  go  down  to  Rowser's,  to  get  some  lager  beer.7 

2.  Sweet  lager  beer,  3  sour  lager  beer, 

4.     Court'sy  to  your  partner,  5  swing  around  your  lady, 
6.     Go  back  and  get  your  partner, 
And  swing  around  again. 


7  If  a  second  stanza  is  desired  the  last  four  lines  remain  the  same,  but  the  flrst 
two  are  changed  to  read  as  follows: 

O  never  mind  the  old  folks,  O  never  mind  the  old  folks. 
O  never  mind  the  old  folks.  They're  in  bed  asleep. 

Miss  Ethel  Ballman,  Versailles,  Ind, 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  23 

b.  Two  couples  play  this.     They  join  hands  to  form  a  circle, 
the  partners  facing  each  other.     At  1,  they  circle  around  to  the 
left.     At  2,  partners  cross  their  right  hands  making  a  "star."8 
Repeat,  forming  the  "star"  with  the  left  hands.     At  4,  the  boys 
bow,  the  girls  courtesy.     At  5,  each  boy  swings  the  girl-  next  to 
him,  and  then  6  swings  his  own  partner. 

This  is  also  a  game  for  eight,  and  as  such  it  is  danced  with 
rather  complex  figures.  This,  like  the  dance  of  "Weevily  Wheat," 
is  not  considered  proper  for  church  members. 

c.  This   was  well  known  by   children  fifteen  years  ago.     The 
basement  of  the  school  house  at  Versailles  was  always  crowded 
with  players  as  soon  as  the  teachers  left  at  noon,  and  also  at 
recesses  when  there  was  least  danger  of  discovery.     At  the  same 
time  it  was  well  known  as  a  play-party  game  and  as  such  it 
continues  to  be  popular  today. 

d.  G.  M.  Miller  (University  Studies  of  the  University  of  Cin- 
cinnati, vol.   1,  p.  31)  speaks  of  this  game  in  connection  with 
others  which  we  shall  give  in  detail  later.     "Some  of  the  songs 
used  in  Indiana  were  very  old,  while  others  were  comparatively 
recent  in  origin.     The  song  for  the  Virginia  reel  was  probably 
as  old  in  parts  as  the  original  of  the  dance  itself,  the  old  Sir  Roger 
de    Coverly    contra  dance.     Others  going  pretty  far  back  were 
Weevily  Wheat  and  Pop  Goes  the  Weasel,  while  Captain  Jinks 
and   We're   Marching   Down  to   Rauser's   (evidently  a   German 
saloon-keeper  who  kept  'good  beer')  were  more  recent." 

e.  Other  variants  are  published  in  Cur.  Lit.  vol.  30,  pp.  350-51 
(Robinson,  Folk  Music),  and  in  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV, 
p.  298  (Mrs.  Ames,  Missouri  Play-party). 

The  melody  known  in  Ripley  County  is  practically  the  same 
as  that  given  by  Mrs.  Ames.  The  words  are  quite  different,  for 
her  version  has  five  stanzas  and  something  of  a  ballad  situation. 
She  gives  also  the  words  to  the  song,  "My  Father  and  Mother 
Were  Irish,"  which  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  play-party  game  in 
Indiana,  and  likewise  the  music  to  this  game  is  the  same  as  in 
"All  Go  Down  to  Rowser's." 

Miss  Hamilton's  variant  in  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII, 
p.  290,  corresponds  most  closely  to  the  one  given  above. 


8  Each  boy  raises  his  partner's  hand  to  his  lips  as  if  it  were  the  beer  glass. 


24 


A.  B.  J. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Billy  Boy 


Mrs.  Allie  B.  Jackson,  Versailles,  Ind. 


J  J'  J 


''Oh        where  haveyou  been, Bil  -  ly      Boy,  Bil-Iy  Boy,     Oh 


J 


where  have  you  been, charm-ing  Bil  -   ly?" 


"I      have 


J    J.'   .H  I  J 


'    > 


J 


been    lo   see    my  wife,  She's  the  dar-ling    of    my    life,  She's    a 


Ji      Jllj!     J. 


j'     j' 


young    thing  and  can     not      leave    her     mom-my-" 

a.  "Oh  where  have  you  been,  Billy  Boy,  Billy  Boy, 
Oh  where  have  you  been,  charming  Billy?" 

"I  have  been  to  see  my  wife,  she's  the  darling  of  my  life, 
She's  a  young  thing  and  can  not  leave  her  mommy." 

"How  old  is  she,  Billy  Boy,  Billy  Boy, 

How  old  is  she,  charming  Billy?" 

"Twice  six,  twice  seven,  twice  forty  and  eleven, 

She's  a  young  thing  and  can  not  leave  her  mommy." 

"Can  she  bake  a  cherry  pie,  Billy  Boy,  Billy  Boy, 

Can  she  bake  a  cherry  pie,  charming  Billy?" 
"She  can  bake  a  cherry  pie  quick  as  cat  can  wink  its  eye, 

She's  a  young  thing  and  can  not  leave  her  mommy." 

"Can  she  make  a  feather  bed,  Billy  Boy,  Billy  Boy, 
Can  she  make  a  feather  bed,  charming  Billy?" 

"She  can  make  a  feather  bed,  with  the  pillows  at  the  head, 
She's  a  young  thing  and  can  not  leave  her  mommy." 

"Did  you  ask  her  to  wed,  Billy  Boy,  Billy  Boy, 

Did  you  ask  her  to  wed,  charming  Billy?" 
"I  did  ask  her  to  wed,  and  this  is  what  she  said, 
'I'm  a  young  thing  and  can  not  leave  my  mommy!' 

b.  This  is  merely  sung  as  a  dialogue,  the  woman  or  girl  question- 
ing and  the  boy  answering  the  questions.     It  has  no  dance,  so 
far  as  I  can  find.     It  is,  however,  a  traditional  folk-song  and  is 
dramatic. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


d.     Miss   Louise  Pound  writes  of  it  as  follows: 

"Especially  well  known  is  the  vivacious  piece,  in  dialog  form, 
in  which  'Billy  Boy'  responds  to  the  questions  as  to  his  courting. 
He  is  asked  whether  she  can  make  a  cherry-pie,  a  feather  bed,  a 
loaf  of  bread,  can  milk  a  'muly  cow,'  and  so  forth  and  gives 
humorous  replies."  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVI,  pp. 
356-7.) 

"I  have  been  to  see  my  wife,"  in  the  variant  given  above  is 
certainly  a  corruption  of  "I  have  been  for  a  wife." 

Halliwell.    Nursery  Rhymes.   6th  edition,  pp.  226-27. 

Rimbault.  A  Collection  of  Old  Nursery  Rhymes,  pp.  34-35. 

Halliwell.  Popular  Rhymes  and  Nursery  Tales,  1849.  pp. 
259-60. 

Baring-Gould  and  Sheppard.  A  Garland  of  Country  Song, 
1895,  p.  83. 

Baring-Gould.  A  Book  of  Nursery  Songs  and  Rhymes.  1895, 
pp.  36-39. 

Ideal  Home  Music  Library,  vol.  X,  p.  213. 

I  have  heard  this  same  song  from  persons  who  learned  it  in 
Texas,  Illinois  and  Kentucky. 


Black  the  Boots 


Miss  Rena  Bushing 


Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  Ind 


Black  the     boots      and       make     'em     shine,  A      Goodby, 


A  Goodby,  Black   the    boots       and       make       'em      shine, 


AGoodbyLi-za    Jane.  O,   how     I      love  her,  'Aint   that    a 


a. 


shame?       O,     how      I      love  her,     A  Goodby   Li  -  za  Jane. 


1 .     Black  the  boots  and  make  'em  shine, 
(A)  Goodby,  a  Goodby, 
Black  the  boots  and  make  'em  shine, 
(A)  Goodby  Liza  Jane. 


26  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Refrain — 

2.  O,  how  I  love  her, 
'Aint  that  a  shame? 

3.  O,  how  I  love  her, 

4.  (A)  Goodby  Liza  Jane. 

b.  Circle  dance  for  two  couples. 

Join  hands  to  form  a  circle,  partners  facing  each  other,  and 
circle  left  during  1.  At  2,  partners  cross  their  right  hands  to  form 
a  "star."  At  3,  each  boy  swings  the  girl  at  his  right.  At  4, 
partners  swing. 

c.  The  words  were  given  by  Miss  Rena  Bushing  of  Johnson  Tp. 
Mrs.  Frank  Brinson,  Correct,  Ind.  gives  the  variation,  "Black 
your  boots"  for  the  first  line. 

d.  The  play-party  song  given  by  Miss  Hamilton  (Jour.  Am.  Folk- 
lore, vol.  XXIV,  p.  296)  as  "So  Goodby  Susan  Jane,"  resembles 
this,  but  it  has  three  stanzas  and  a  chorus. 

The  ballad,  "Liza  Jane,"  from  North  Carolina  (Jour.  Am. 
Folk-lore,  vol.  VI,  pp.  133-34)  is  long  and  resembles  this  game  in 
name  only. 

The  play-party  game  which  Mrs.  Ames  calls  "Shiloh"  (Jour.  Am. 
Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  317)  has  the  same  refrain  as  this  and  the 
music  is  of  the  same  rhythm  though  with  different  intervals  in  the 
melody. 

I  am  told  by  a  girl  from  Louisiana  that  this  is  a  children's 
game  there,  and  by  another  informant  that  it  is  a  well  known 
ballad  in  Dallas,  Texas. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Captain  Jinks. 


27 


Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Ver*ailles,  Ind. 


J      J.'  k  S 

i^*^^l-^ 


Cap  -  lain  Jinks  came  home    last  night,    Gentle-man  pass  -  es 


jj 


to       the    right,     Swing  your  Ja    -   dy       very      po  -  lite, 


J 


that's  the   style    in    the    arm  -  y  Go        to  your  part-ner  and 


$L}>  ji  J  |j) 


prom  -  e -nade,  prom- e -nade,  prom-e -nade,   Go     to  yourpartnerand 

*  J)    J[~ft~~^  I  J>    ^)  J    .M I J     ^^ 

nrom  -  e  -  nade,    For      that's  ti.~     style      in    the      arm    -    y. 


The  following  is  the  refrain  as  I  knew  it  in  1905. 


Join    hands  and  circle  to  the  left,  circle  to  the  left,  circle  to  the  left, 


3=F= 


jj|i.h  J'  Ji 


J>   }    IJ     J- 


Join  hands  and  circle  to  the  left,  For  that's  the  style  in  the  arm  -  y. 


a. 


Captain  Jinks  came  home  last  night, 
Gentleman  passes  to  the  right, 
Swing  your  lady  very  polite, 
For  that's  the  style  in  the  army. 

Go  to  your  partner  and  promenade,  promenade,  promenade, 
Go  to  your  partner  and  promenade,  for  that's  the  style  in  the 

army. 

As  I  played  the  game  at  school  ten  years  ago,  it  had  the  stanza 
of  the  preceding  and  the  chorus  of  the  following  variant. 

1 .  Captain  Jinks  came  home  last  night, 

2.  Pass  the  lady  to  the  right. 

3.  Promenade  with  all  your  might, 
For  that's  the  style  in  the  army. 

4.  :A11  join  hands  and  circle  to  the  left :  Three  times : 
For  that's  the  style  in  the  army. 

Miss  Fannie  Stewart,  Shelby  Tp. 


28  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Another  variant  is  that  of  Miss  Alice  Delay,  Brown  Tp. 
Captain  Jinks  came  home  last  night; 
He  clapped  his  hands  with  all  his  might, 
Brings  his  lady  to  the  right, 
For  that's  the  style  in  the  army. 

Refrain — 

:Join  hands  and  circle  left :  3  times 
For  that's  the  style  in  the  army. 

Captain  Jinks  came  home  last  night, 
The  gentleman  passes  to  the  right, 
And  swings  his  lady  once  around, 
For  that's  the  style  in  the  army. 

b.  The  manner  of  playing  necessarily  varies  with  the  words. 
Circle  dance  for  any  number  of  couples  above  two. 

All  join  hands  and  form  a  circle,  each  girl  being  two  places  to 
the  right  of  her  partner.  At  1,  circle  left.  At  2,  all  drop  hands; 
the  boys  face  to  the  right,  girls  to  the  left.  Each  boy  with  his 
left  hand  takes  the  left  hand  of  the  girl  at  his  right,  passes  her, 
and  at  3,  reaches  his  partner  with  whom  he  promenades.  At  4, 
all  return  to  original  positions. 

The  figure  below  represents  the  position  at  the  end  of  3  (x-boys, 
o-girls).  In  order  to  recover  the  original  position  each  boy  moves 
back  to  the  left  of  the  girl  behind  him,  as  lines  x  to  x  show. 


c.  G.  M.  Miller  (Univ.  Stud,  of  Univ.  of  Cincinnati,  vol.  1,  p.  31) 
refers  to  this  as  being  more  recent  than  "Weevily  Wheat"  and 
"Pop  Goes  the  Weasel." 

d.  Mrs.  Ames'  variant  (Missouri  Play-Party,  Jour.  Am.  Folk- 
lore, vol.  XXIV,  p.  308)  is  longer,  and  is  evidently  more  complex 
in  figure.     The  words  resemble  those  which  were  known  in  a  New 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  29 

England  ballad  of  this  name,  during  the  early  seventies.  It 
seems  probable  that  this  game  had  its  origin  in  a  Civil  War  rhyme. 

Mr.  Edwin  F.  Piper  (Some  Play-Party  Games  of  the  Middle 
West.  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  285)  gives  another 
variant. 

An  interesting  variant  is  this  ballad  which  Miss  Bessie  E. 
Harvey  learned  in  Pennsylvania. 

When  I  was  young  Mamma  she  cried, 
Mamma  she  cried,  Mamma  she  cried, 
When  I  was  young  Mamma  she  cried, 
"You're  not  brought  up  for  the  army." 

But  I'm  Captain  Jinks  of  the  horse  marines, 
I  feed  my  horse  on  corn  and  beans, 
I  know  it  is  beyond  my  means, 
But  I'm  Captain  Jinks  of  the  army. 

The  melody  is  the  same  as  that  given  above. 
A  longer  ballad  version  is  given  in  the  Ideal  Home  Music 
Library,  vol.  X,  p.  127,  and  still  another  in  Heart  Songs,  p.  54. 

Chase  the  Buffalo. 

a. 

Come  to  me,  my  dearest  dear, 
And  present  to  me  your  hand, 
And  we'll  march  around  together, 
:To  the  far  and  better  land :  3  times 
And  we'll  march  around  together, 
To  the  far  and  better  land. 
And  we'll  chase  the  buffalo, 
And  we'll  chase  the  buffalo, 
And  we'll  march  around  together, 
To  the  far  and  better  land. 

Mr.   R.   H.   Stone,  Jay  Co.,   Ind. 

Of  this  variant  my  informant,  Miss  Alice  Delay  (Brown  Tp.) 
says,  "I  think  this  is  about  the  same  as  'Chase  the  Buffalo.'  ' 

Rise  ye  up,  my  dearest  dear, 
And  present  to  me  your  hand, 
For  I  meet  you,  and  I  greet  you, 
In  a  far  and  better  land, 
Where  the  hawk  caught  the  buzzard, 
And  the  buzzard  stubbed  his  toe, 
We  will  rally  through  the  corn, 
Break  and  shoot  the  buffalo, 


30  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Break  and  shoot  the  buffalo, 
We  will  rally  through  the  corn, 
Break9  and  shoot  the  buffalo. 

The  following  variant  comes  from  Miss  Fannie  Stewart  of 
Shelby  Township.  She  says,  ''This  is  another  of  the  old  favorites." 

Come  to  me,  my  dearest  dear, 
And  present  to  me  your  hand. 
We'll  travel  in  pursuit,    . 
Of  some  far  and  better  land. 
The  boys  will  plow  and  mow, 
And  the  girls  will  knit  and  sew, 
We'll  travel  through  the  corn-brake, 
And  shoot  the  buffalo.10 

d.  Miss  Delay's  variant  resembles  that  of  Mrs.  Ames  (Missouri 
Play-Party,  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  301)  but  does  not 
describe  the  hunt  so  completely. 

Miss  Goldy  M.  Hamilton  (Play-Party  of  Northeastern  Mis- 
souri, Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII,  p.  300)  gives  another 
variant. 

J.  A.  Perrow  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVI,  p.  137)  prints 
another  variant. 

Chase  the  Squirrel. 

Mrs.  William  Robinson,  Versailles,  Ind. 


j.uUL      j 


Now's  the  time  to  chase  the  squirrel,Now's  the  time  to  chase  thesquirreJ 


'  p  P    p  pip  p  p  .hj  j  i 


Now'sthetime  to  chase  the  squirrel,  Qn    a  cold  and  frosl-y  morn-ing. 


a. 

1 .  Now's  the  time  to  chase  the  squirrel, 
Now's  the  time  to  chase  the  squirrel, 

2.  Now's  the  time  to  chase  the  squirrel, 
This  cold  and  frosty  morning. 

3.  Up  and  down  the  centre  we  go, 
Up  and  down  the  centre  we  go, 
Up  and  down  the  centre  we  go, 


9  Corn-brake  is  a  very  unusual  term  in  this  locality  and  this  probably  accounts 
for  this  queer  interpretation  of  the  word. 
10  See  "Hunt  the  Buffalo." 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  31 

This  cold  and  frosty  morning.11 
4.     Catch  her  and  hug  her  if  you  can,12 
Catch  her  and  hug  her  if  you  can, 
Catch  her  and  hug  her  if  you  can, 
This  cold  and  frosty  morning. 

Mrs.  William  Robinson,  Versailles,  Ind. 

b.     Longways  dance  for  any  number  of  couples  over  three. 

The  boys  stand  in  a  long  line  facing  that  of  the  girls,  partners 
being  opposite  each  other.  At  1,  the  top  boy  and  the  top  girl 
take  promenade  position  and  walk  down  through  the  center  to 
the  foot  of  the  lines.  At  2,  they  drop  arms,  he  passes  behind  her, 
casts  off  to  the  right  and  walks  back  to  position.  At  the  same  time 
she  passes  in  front  of  him,  casts  off  to  the  left  and  walks  back  to 
position.  At  3,  irrespective  of  the  time  of  the  music,  she  runs 
down  through  the  center  with  him  in  pursuit  of  her.  She  must 
continue  running  down  the  center  and  casting  off  to  the  left  until 
he  catches  her.  At  4,  he  kisses  her  and  they  promenade  down  the 
center  to  position  at  the  foot  of  their  respective  lines. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  the  second  couple. 

Continue  repeating  until  all  the  players  are  in  their  original 
relative  positions. 

Game.     Mrs.  Peter  Geiling,  Laurel,  Ind. 

c.-d.  Mr.  Newell  gives  an  American  children's  game  of  this  name, 
but  without  any  song-.  (Games  and  Songs,  pp.  168-9.) 

This  play-party  game  is  perhaps  traceable  to  the  morris  dance 
described  by  Sharp  and  Macilwaine  in  The  Morris  Book  (vol. 
II,  pp.  18-19). 

Miss  Hamilton  (in  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII,  p.  299) 
gives  another  variant  with  a  similar  melody. 

Mr.  Edwin  F.  Piper  gives  practically  the  same  words  to  this 
song  but  the  music  is  different.  (Jour,  of  Amer.  Folk-lore,  vol. 
XXVIII,  p.  266.) 


11  If  the  runner  has  not  been  caught  during  the  singing  of  this  stanza,  repeat  it, 
and  continue  repeating  until  he  (or  she)  is  caught. 

12  "Catch  her  and  kiss  her  if  you  can,"  is  the  older  form  for  this  stanza. 


32  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Cincinnati  Girls, 
a.     This  is  sung  to  the  tune  of  "All  Chaw  Hay  on  the  Corner." 

Cincinnati  girls  are  coming  out  tonight, 
Coming  out  tonight,  coming  out  tonight. 
Cincinnati  girls  are  coming  out  tonight, 
To  dance  by  the  light  of  the  moon. 

Dance  all  night,  till  broad  daylight, 
Broad  daylight,  broad  daylight, 
Dance  all  night  till  broad  daylight, 
And  we  won't  go  home  till  morning. 

Miss  Ruth  Flick,  Holton,  Ind. 

c.  Stanza  1  of  this  is  almost  identical  with  the  "Michigan  Girls," 
which  Mr.  Piper  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  283)  calls 
a  Virginia  Reel. 

The  words  of  this  game  agree  closely  with  the  chorus  to  a 
ballad,  "Buffalo  Gals,"  given  in  "Heart  Songs,"  p.  366.  The 
melodies  show  little  resemblance. 

This  is  probably  a  local  game  of  recent  origin  for  it  seems  to  be 
known  only  in  a  very  few  neighborhoods.  I  say  local,  because  of 
the  fact  that  Cincinnati  is  only  about  fifty  miles  away,  and  is 
also  the  largest  city  which  is  known  to  most  of  the  people  of  Ripley 
County. 

Though  the  tune  connects  this  game  with  "All  Chaw  Hay  on 
the  Corner,"  the  words,  "We  won't  go  home  till  morning,"  13  have 
perhaps  been  suggested  by  those  of  "All  Go  Down  to  Rowser's." 

d.  "Buffalo  Girls"  of  Miss  Hamilton's  collection  (Jour.  Am.  Folk- 
lore, vol.  XXVII,  p.  313)  is  quite  similar. 


13  Tune,  "We  Won't  Go  Home  Till  Morning."     C.  J.  Sharp.     Country  Dance 
Book. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


33 


Coffee  Grows  in  a  White  Oak  Tree. 

Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  lud. 


Cof  -  fee  grows  in  a  white  oak  tree,  The    riv  -  er    flows  sweet 


i-  J1 


bran-dy-o.    Go  forth  and  choose  the        one  that  you  Love  best,to 


Ji 


roam    with  you.          Two       in       the    cen  -  ter     and     you 


>    ji  Ji 


better   get       a  -  bout,        Two       in      the     cen  -  ter    and     you 


bet  -  ter    get       a  -  bout,      Two       in     the     cen  -  ter    and    you 

=_h  J      I  h    Ji     J) '  h    I  i       i 


a. 


bet  -  ter    get       a  -bout,      Swing  those    la  -dies       round  you 

1.  Coffee  grows  in  a  white  oak  tree, 
The  river  flows  sweet  brandy-o, 

Go  forth  and  choose  the  one  that  you 
Love  best,  to  roam  with  you. 

2.  Two  in  the  center  and  you  better  get  about, 
Two  in  the  center  and  you  better  get  about, 
Two  in  the  center  and  you  better  get  about, 
Swing  those  ladies  round  you. 

3.  Four  in  the  center  and  you  better  get  about,  etc. 

4.  Six  in  the  center  and  you  better  get  about,  etc. 

5.  Eight  in  the  center  and  you  better  get  about,  etc. 

6.  Ten  in  the  center  and  you  better  get  about,  etc. 

7.  Eight  in  the  center  and  two  step  out,  etc. 

8.  Six  in  the  center  and  two  st§p  out,  etc. 

9.  Four  in  the  center  and  two  step  out,  etc. 

10.     Two  in  the  center  and  two  step  out,  etc. 

Miss  Rena  Bushing,  Johnson  Tp. 


34  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Miss  Agnes  Taylor  of  Herne,  Texas,  has  given  us  an  interesting 
variant,  especially  if  taken  in  connection  with  that  of  Mr.  Newell. 
Several  of  the  play-party  games,  or  at  least  certain  stanzas  of 
them,  seem,  like  this,  to  have  been  invented  for  the  purpose  of 
relieving  the  embarrassment  at  the  end  of  the  evening. 

Coffee  grows  on  the  white  oak  top, 
The  river  flows  with  brandy, 
Choose  the  one  to  go  home  with  you, 
And  feed  'em  on  'lasses  candy. 

b.  All  of  the  young  people  stand  around  the  outside  of  the  room, 
but  not  in  a  circle.  During  1,  one  boy  skips  to  the  right,  making 
a  complete  circle,  in  the  center  of  the  room.  At  2,  he  chooses  a 
partner  and  together  they  promenade  making  a  complete  circle 
to  the  right.  At  3,  this  couple  chooses  a  new  couple  to  enter 
the  center  with  them,  and  the  four  make  a  figure  8  in  this  way. 


Boy  1  is  in  the  center  facing  down  and  girl  1  is  in  the  center  facing 
up.  Boy  1  takes  his  partner's  right  hand  and  passes  her  by  the 
right.  He  proceeds  to  trace  the  lower  half  of  the  figure  8  while 
she  traces  the  upper  half  of  it.  (The  walking  step  is  used.)  At 
the  start  boy  2  is  at  the  top  following  boy  1,  and  girl  2  is  at  the 
bottom  following  girl  1.  All  simultaneously  make  a  complete 
figure  8,  boy  following  boy,  and  girl  following  girl,  the  boys  and 
the  girls  going  in  opposite  directions.  Partners  always  meet  at 
the  center,  and  there  the  boy  takes  the  right  hand  of  the  girl 
and  passes  her  by  the  right.  When  he  meets  the  "opposite"  girl 
he  takes  her  left  hand  and  passes  her  by  the  left. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


35 


At  4,  all  are  in  the  same  position  as  at  the  beginning  of  the 
figure.  The  couple  which  entered  the  center  last  chooses  from 
the  crowd  a  third  couple.  The  initial  position  now  is  this: 


Repeat  the  figure  with  six.  Each  boy  regards  the  girls  who 
are  not  partners  to  him  as  ''contrary"  girls. 

At  5,  another  couple  is  chosen.  Repeat  the  figure  with  eight, 
the  initial  position  being: 


At  6,  repeat  with  ten. 

At  7,  the  first  couple  drop  out  of  the  center  and  return  to  their 
original  places  in  the  crowd.  Repeat  the  figure  with  eight. 

Likewise  at  8  repeat  with  six  players,  at  9  with  four.  Finally, 
at  10,  the  last  two  promenade  in  a  circle  to  the  right  and  take  their 
original  places. 


36 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


Cuckoo  Waltz. 

Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles.  Ind. 


Pif 


* *-+* — • )   JI  _£)   I  • 

Three  times  round  the  cuckoo  waltz,  Three  times  round  the  cuck-oo  waltz  , 


Three  times  round  the    cuck-oo  waltz,  Love-  ly      Su  -  sie     Brown. 


J) 


, 


Fare  thee  well,  my    charming  girl,     Fare  thee  well,  I'm         gone. 


J;  Ji 


Fare  thee\vell,my    charming girl,With  gold  -en  slip  -pers        on. 


a. 

1  .  Choose  your  pard  as  we  go  round, 
Choose  your  pard  as  we  go  round, 
Choose  your  pard  as  we  go  round, 

2.  We'll  all  take  Susie  Brown. 

3.  Fare  thee  well,  my  charming  girl, 

4.  Fare  thee  well,  I'm  gone, 

Fare  thee  well,  my  charming  girl, 
With  golden  slippers  on." 

The  following  variant,  from  Miss  E.  F.  Laud  of  the  southern 
part  of  the  county,  shows  how  unfamiliar  words  are  replaced  by 
modern  popular  ones. 

:Choose  you  a  pard  as  we  go  round:  3  times 
And  I'll  take  Susie  Brown. 
:Three  times  around  a  goo-goo  waltz:  3  times 
And  I'll  take  Susie  Brown. 

Fare-a-well,  my  darling  girl, 
Fare-a-well,  I'm  gone, 
Farewell,  my  darling  girl, 
With  the  golden  slippers  on.16 

b.     Circle  dance  for  any  number  of  players,  above  nine. 


14  Directions  for  the  game  are  given  in  the  order  indicated  at  the  left  but  this 
order  is  not  essential. 

15  The  last  stanza  of  this  is  played  as  a  game  in  itself  by  the  young  people  near 
Versailles. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  37 

A  boy  and  girl  stand  in  the  center.  All  of  the  others  (irre- 
spective of  partners)  circle  to  the  left  around  them,  during  1. 
At  2,  the  girl  chooses  a  boy,  the  boy  a  girl,  and  all  four  stand  in 
the  center.  At  3,  the  two  couples  in  the  center  form  a  circle,  each 
boy  opposite  his  partner.  Partners  cross  hands  forming  a  "star" 
and  circle  left.  Repeat  with  left  hands  and  circle  right. 

At  4,  each  of  the  boys  in  the  center  swings  the  contrary  girl, 
then  waltzes16  with  his  partner,  while  that  stanza  is  repeated. 

c.     This  game  like  most  of  the  games  which  belong  exclusively 
to  the  young  peoole,  is  of  American  origin,  so  far  as  we  can  find. 


16  This  may  seem  to  discredit  the  time  of  the  melody  but  I  think  it  is  not  a  serious 
inconsistency.  The  music  might  easily  be  turned  into  3-4  time  for  the  last  stanza  and 
this  is  not  so  unusual.  By  accenting  the  first  and  third  counts  of  the  measure  as  it 
stands  and  by  pausing  on  these,  the  change  is  practically  accomplished.  Another 
informant  says  that  the  two  couples  in  the  center  two-step.  Both  statements,  I  think 
are  probably  true  to  the  game  as  it  is  played  in  each  particular  locality. 


38 


THE  PLAY-PAUTY  IN  INDIANA. 


Dem  Golden  Slippers. 

Mr  Mort.  McCoy,  Sharpsvillc,  I  ml. 


iJ  J 


Ah,      Good-by,chil-dren,     I      have   for     to      go       Where  the 


J 


J»   Ji   >    U     J 


rain    don't        fall,         nor     the     wind   don't     blow,      So     your 


J      J      J-      J     |J      J      J 


ul     -    ster       coat         you        will        not       need,    When     you 


p 


ride       up      to         the     char  -  iot         in        the         morn    -  ing . 


J>  ;.  ij. 


O        dcm    gold- en   slip  -  pers,  O        dem    gold- en    slip  -  pers, 


Ji 


. 


Gold  -  en  slippers      I'se  a-gwine  to  wear,    Be  -  cause  they  look    so 


neat,    Hal  -  le    -  lu    -  jah,         O  dem     gold  -  en      slip  -  pers, 


O          dem       gold  -  eff     slip  -  pers,  Gold  -   en       slippers,  I'se 

'=£ 


| 


a. 


gwine  for      to  wear,    To   wear     on    the    gold  -  en       street. 


Ah,  Goodby,  children,  I  have  for  to  go, 
Where  the  rain  don't  fall  nor  the  wind  don't  blow, 
So  your  ulster  coat  you  will  not  need, 
When  you  ride  up  to  the  chariot  in  the  mornin'. 
But  your  golden  slippers  must  be  nice  and  clean, 
And  your  age  musj  be  just  sweet  sixteen, 
Your  white  kid  gloves  you  will  not  need. 
When  you  ride  up  to  the  chariot  in  the  mornin'. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


39 


Chorus — 

O,  dem  golden  slippers,  O,  dem  golden  slippers, 

Golden  slippers  I'se  a-gwine  to  wear, 

Because  they  look  so  neat,  Hallelujah, 

O,  dem  golden  slippers,  O,  dem  golden  slippers, 

Golden  slippers  I'se  gwine  for  to  wear, 

To  wear  on  the  golden  street. l7 

b.     Longways  dance  for  any  number  of  couples  above  three. 

The  figures  are  identical  with  those  of  "Weevily  Wheat." 
The  order  in  which  these  are  taken  is  varied  at  pleasure.  It  will 
be  noticed  that  in  each  division  of  this  song  there  are  seven  strong 
accents,  the  same  as  in  "Weevily  Wheat."  The  entire  stanza, 
together  with  the  chorus  are  equivalent  in  this  game  to  three 
stanzas  of  "Weevily  Wheat." 


Down  in  Jay  Bird  Town. 


Blue    bird,    blue     bird,          flew  in     the    win   -  dow, 


J1  J) 


J1 


Blue  bird,blue  bird,    flew      in  the  win-dow,    Blue  bird,bluebird, 


flew         in  the  win  -  dow,    Down   in     Jay   Bird       town. 


a. 

Blue  bird,  blue  bird,  flew  in  the  window, 
Blue  bird,  blue  bird,  flew  in  the  window, 
Blue  bird,  blue  bird,  flew  in  the  window, 
Down  in  Jay  Bird  town. 

I  knew  it  was  her  by  the  jingle  of  the  window, 
I  knew  it  was  her  by  the  jingle  of  the  window, 
I  knew  it  was  her  by  the  jingle  o?  the  window, 
Down  in  Jay  Bird  town. 

b.     The  game  is  the  same  as  that  of  "Skip-to- My-Lou." 


17  Stair  is  a  common  substitute  for  the  word  street. 


40 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


The  following  melody  was  very  popular  as  a  ''fiddler's  tune" 
twenty  years  ago,  but  it  differs  very  little  from  that  of  the  play- 
party  game. 


Down  the  River. 


A.  W.  Mason,  Columbus,  Ind. 


\\    >i 


J 


The  riv-er   is  up  and  the  channel  is  deep,  And  the  waves  go  steady  and 


strong,       Aswe  go 'long,    as  we  go 'long, As       we     gomarchinga 


1  1>  J  J  „  1 

i  J      N    S  J    i 

1  — 

\       h.      '       \ 

' 

\  

1  —  fn 

<jy>     J-  J  3- 

[)  J  J  • 

long 


Down  the  river,oh   down  the  riv-er,  Down  the  river  we 


£=3 


go. 


Down  the  river,  oh  down  the  riv-er,  Down  the  O  -hi  -  o  . 


a. 


The  river  is  up  and  the  channel  is  deep, 
Goodby,  a  goodby, 

The  river  is  up  and  the  channel  is  deep, 
Goodby  Liza  Jane. 

This  may  be  merely  a  stanza  from  "Black  the  Boots",  but  it 
has  a  game  of  its  own. 

The  following  variant  comes  from  Jay  County,  Indiana,  and 
was  contributed  by  Mr.  R.  W.  Stone.  It  is  also  a  play-party  song. 

The  river  is  up,  and  the  channel  is  deep, 
And  the  waves  go  steady  and  strong, 
As  we  go  'long,  as  we  go  'long, 
As  we  go  marching  along. 

Down  the  river,  oh  down  the  river, 
Down  the  river  we  go, 
Down  the  river,  oh  down  the  river, 
Down  the  Ohio. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  41 

b.  Longways  dance  for  three  or  more  couples. 

All  form  in  two  lines,  boys  in  one  and  girls  in  the  other,  with 
partners  facing.  The  first  boy  and  the  last  girl  walk  to  the  center, 
swing,  retire  and  then  each  swings  the  player  next  on  his  partner's 
left.  Repeat  until  the  first  boy  has  swung  all  of  the  girls  and  the 
last  girl  a1!  of  the  boys.  Both  return  to  their  original  positions. 
The  first  couple  meet  and  promenade  down  the  center,  taking 
position  at  the  bottom  of  their  respective  lines. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  and  continue  repeating  until  all 
of  the  players  are  in  their  original  relative  positions. 

Words  and  game.      Mr.  John  Underwood,  Brown  Tp. 

d.     Edwin  F.   Piper:     Some  Play-Party  Games  of  the   Middle 
West.     Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  267. 

Down  to  New  Orleans. 

a. 

I  went  down  to  New  Orleans  (Orlenz), 
But  I  did'nt  go  there  to  stay. 
I  stuck  my  head  in  a  feather  bed, 
And  could'nt  get  away. 

Fare  ye  well,  my  dearest  dear, 
Fare  ye  well  my  darling, 
Fare  ye  well,  my  dearest  dear, 
With  the  golden  slippers  on. 

Mr.  R.  W.  Stone,  Jay  Co.,  Ind. 

c.  The  refrain  to  this  will  be  recognized  as  being  practically  the 
same  as  that  to  "Cuckoo  Waltz,"  supra. 

This  song  is  probably  related  to  the  first  stanza  of  the  comic 
ballad,  "Polly  wolly  doodle  wolly  day."  This  is  well  known  in 
Ripley  County  but  seems  to  be  a  local  rendition. 

I'm  going  away  to  New  Orleans, 
Goodby,  my  lover,  goodby, 
Goodby  my  lover,  goodby.18 

FARE  THEE  WELL. 

This  game  has  only  a  fragment  of  the  stanzas  to  "Cuckoo 
Waltz." 


18  Ideal  Home  Music  Library,  X:    142. 


42  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Farmer  in  the  Well. 


J. 


The    far-mer     in     (he    well,  The    far-mer     in   the     well, 


r    p  p 


High-o,  mer-  ry   -  o,    The     far-  mer      in     the      well. 

It  is  only  for  the  sake  of  completeness  that  I  include  this  game. 
Miss  Hofer  (Children's  Singing  Games,  page  20)  gives  the  same 
melody.  Newell  (Games  and  Songs  of  American  Children, 
p.  129)  gives  practically  the  same  tune  and  words  as  belonging  to 
the  New  York  game.  That  of  Hornby  (Joyous  Book  of  Singing 
Games,  p.  64)  is  nearly  the  same. 

Mrs.  Gomme  (Trad.  Games,  vol.  II,  p.  420)  prints  a  similar 
game,  "The  Farmer  in  His  Den,"  from  Auchencairn,  N.  B. 

a. 

1 .  The  farmer  in  the  well, 
The  farmer  in  the  well, 
High-o  merry  o, 

The  farmer  in  the  well. 

2.  The  farmer  takes  a  wife,  etc. 

3.  The  wife  takes  a  child,  etc. 

4.  The  child  takes  a  nurse,  etc. 

5.  The  nurse  takes  a  dog,  etc. 

6.  The  dog  takes  a  cat,  etc. 

7.  The  cat  takes  a  rat,  etc. 

8.  The  rat  takes  the  cheese,  etc. 

9.  The  cheese  stands  alone,  etc. 

b.  All  the  players  except  one,  join  hands  to  form  a  circle,  anil 
circle  left,  during  stanza  1.  One  stands  in  the  center.  At  2,  the 
dancing  and  singing  stop  while  the  person  in  the  center  (the  farmer) 
chooses  from  the  circle,  one  who  is  to  play  the  part  of  wife.  The 
person  chosen  enters  the  center.  Repeat  the  figure  from  the 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  43 

beginning  and  at  the  end  of  this  second  stanza,  the  person,  who 
has  entered  the  center  last,  chooses  the  one  who  is  next  to  enter. 
Continue  repeating  the  figure  of  the  game  with  each  new  stanza, 
c.  The  refrain  in  Texas  is  "High-o-cherry-o,"  and  in  Louisiana, 
"High-o-Maderio,"  instead  of  "High-o-merry-o."  "The  Farmer 
in  the  Dell,"  is  popular  as  a  school-ground  game  for  little  children 
in  Ripley  County  now,  but  as  I  knew  it,  it  was  "The  Farmer  in 
the  Well." 

This  is  printed  as  a  song  game  in  "Graded  Games  and  Rhyth- 
mic Exercises"  by  Marion  B.  Newton,  p.  9. 

Getting  Married. 

1 .  Here  stands  a  young  couple 
Joined  heart  and  hand. 
It's  he  wants  a  wife 

And  it's  she  wants  a  man. 
So  married  they  will  be 
If  they  can  agree, 

2.  And  march  down  this  aisle 
In  peace  and  harmony. 

3.  Now  they  are  married, 
Since  it  is  so, 

Away  to  the  war 
He  must  go. 

4.  Here  conies  my  true  love, 
And  "How  do  you  do 
And  how  have  you  been 
Since  I  last  saw  you?" 

5.  The  war  is  o'er 

And  peace  upon  the  land. 
We  will  give  them  welcome 
By  the  raising  of  our  hand. 

Mrs.  Peter  Geiling,  Laurel,  Ind. 

b.     Longways  dance  for  any  number  of  couples  over  three. 

Boys  stand  in  line  opposite  that  of  the  girls,  each  boy  facing 
his  partner.  At  1,  the  top  couple  take  promenade  position  and 
during  the  singing  of  2,  promenade  down  through  the  center. 
At  3,  she  casts  off  to  the  left,  he  to  the  right  and  they  walk  slowly 
and  mournfully  back  to  position.  At  4,  they  meet  at  the  top  of 
the  lines,  shake  hands  and  kiss.  At  5,  each  couple  (excepting 
couple  1)  advance  a  step,  join  hands  and  raise  them  high  to  form 


44  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

an  arch.  The  first  boy  and  girl  then  promenade  down  through  the 
center  under  the  arch  and  take  pos:tion  at  the  foot  of  their  re- 
spective lines. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  the  second  couple  and  continue 
repeating  until  all  of  the  players  are  in  their  original  relative 
positions. 

d.  Other  variants  are  to  be  found  in  W.  W.  NewelPs  Games  and 
Songs  of  American  Children,  No.  10,  and  in  Jour,  of  Amer.  Folk- 
lore, vol.  XXVIII,  p.  275. 


Getting  UpStairs. 


Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  Ind. 


First  younggent  with  the   right  hand  round  .Back  to  the   left      and 


swing  clear  a-round£winghertothecen-ter  and  we'll  all  join  hands]Such  a 


get-ting  up-stairs.l  never  did  see.  Such  a  getting  up-slairs.it  don't  suit  nu 

a. 

1 .  First  young  gent  with  the  right  hand  around, 

2.  Back  to  the  left,  and  swing  clear  around. 

3.  Swing  her  to  the  center  and  we'll  all  join  hands. 

4.  Such  a  getting  upstairs,  I  never  did  see, 
Such  a  getting  upstairs,  it  don't  suit  me. 

5.  The  lady  swings  out,  the  gent  swings  in, 
All  hands  up  and  going  again. 

6.  Such  a  getting  upstairs,  I  never  did  see, 
Such  a  getting  upstairs,  it  don't  suit  me. 

7.  Balance  all,  swing,  oh  swing, 

Swing  your  partner  and  we'll  all  run  away. 

8.  Such  a  getting  upstairs,  I  never  did  see, 
Such  a  getting  upstairs,  it  don't  suit  me. 

Miss  Rena  Bushing,  Johnson  Tp. 

Variants  in  this  county  are  similar,  but  as  the  movements 
indicated  are  particularly  interesting,  in  this  game,  I  give  them  in 
full. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  45 

First  young  gent  lead  out  to  the  right, 
Right  hand  lady  with  left  hand  swing, 
Partner  in  center  and  seven  hands  ring, 
Lady  swing  out  and  gent  swing  in, 
Seven  hands  up  and  gone  again, 
Such  a  getting  upstairs,  I  never  did  see, 
Such  a  getting  upstairs,  it  don't  suit  me. 

Miss  Alice  Delay,  Brown  Tp. 

First  gent  swing  by  the  right  hand  round, 

Back  by  the  left  and  swing  clear  around, 

And  swing  her  to  the  center  and  all  hands  around. 

Such  a  getting  upstairs,  I  never  did  see, 

Such  a  getting  upstairs  don't  suit  me. 

The  lady  swing  out,  the  gent  swing  in, 
All  hands  up  and  go  again. 
Such  a  getting  upstairs,  I  never  did  see, 
Such  a  getting  upstairs,  it  don't  suit  me. 

Balance  all,  swing  oh  swing, 

All  hands  up  and  in  a  ring, 

Such  a  getting  upstairs,  I  never  did  see. 

Such  a  getting  upstairs,  it  don't  suit  me. 

Miss  E.  F.  Laud,  Southern  part  of  county. 

b.  All  have  partners  and  form  a  circle.  One  couple  enters  the 
center.  They  join  right  hands  and  swing  to  the  left,  while 
singing  1.  At  2,  the  couple  join  left  hands  and  swing  around  to  the 
right.  At  3,  the  girl  stands  still  in  the  center  while  the  boy  joins 
hands  with  those  in  the  circle,  and  with  them  circles  to  the  left 
while  singing  4.  At  5,  the  girl  swings  out  of  the  center  into  the 
circle,  and  the  boy  swings  into  the  center.  At  6,  he  joins  the 
circle  and  all  are  in  their  original  positions.  All  join  hands  above 
their  heads  and  circle  around  to  the  left.  At  7,  partners  swing. 
At  8,  all  promenade. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  the  next  couple  at  the  right 
and  continue  repeating  until  each  couple  has  been  in  the  center, 
d.  It  is  interesting  to  find  "Hunt  the  Squirrel"  and  "Getting 
Upstairs"  as  morris  dances  in  "The  Morris  Book"  of  Sharp  and 
Macilwaine  (ii,  pp.  18-19).  We  have  also  the  game,  "Hunt  the 
Squirrel"  (Newell,  pp.  168-69),  but  it  has  no  music.  This 
play-party  game,  "Getting  Upstairs,"  may  be  connected 
with  the  English  dance  of  that  name.  The  movements  are  not 
very  different.  The  unusual  complexity  of  this  in  comparison 
with  most  of  the  other  games  also  suggests  that  a  relationship 
exists. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
,  The  Girl  I  Left  Behind  Me. 

Miss  Ethel  Mailman,  Versailles,  Ind. 


Jl     Ji   if 


On  to        the    next,       and        bal    -    ance      four,       And 


bow       to    them      so        kind    -  ly,        Oh     swing  that     girl,  that 


pret-ty     lit  -  tie    girl,    Oh    the      girl       I       left  be 


P^ 


hind  me,        She's       pretty       in          the       face,        and 


»  Jl  J>  Jl 


f 


slim    a -round  the  waist,  Oh    the  girl      I       left      be  -  hind     me. 


On  to  the  next,  and  balance  four, 

And  bow  to  them  so  kindly, 

Oh  swing  that  girl,  that  pretty  little  girl, 

Oh  the  girl  I  left  behind  me. 

She's  pretty  in  the  face,  and  slim  around  the  waist, 

Oh  the  girl  I  left  behind  me. 

• 

1 .  First  gent  swing  his  opposite  lady, 
Swing  her  by  the  right  hand, 

2.  Swing  your  partner  by  the  left, 
And  promenade  the  girl  behind  you. 

3.  Oh  the  girl,  the  girl,  the  pretty  little  girl, 
The  girl  I  left  behind  me. 

She  stole  my  heart  and  away  she  ran, 
Away  down  in  South  Carolina. 

b.     Circle  dance  for  any  odd  number  of  couples  above  two. 

All  join  hands  to  form  a  circle,  each  boy  being  at  his  partner's 
left  At  1,  one  boy  skips  across  and  swings  the  girl  opposite 
him  (i.  e.,  he  takes  her  right  hand  with  his  right  and  each  traces 
a  complete  circle  by  taking  four  steps  and  circling  right).  He 
then  skips  back  across  the  circle  to  his  partner.  At  2,  each  boy 
swings  his  partner  by  the  left  hand,  circling  to  the  left.  During  3, 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  47 

each  boy  takes  one  step  backward  and  promenades  with  the  girl 
behind  him. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  new  partners.  Continue 
repeating  until  all  are  in  their  original  relative  positions. 

The  words  change  to  agree  with  the  dance.  Hence,  stanza  2: 
Next  gent  swing  his  opposite  lady. 

d.  The  words  of  this  game  correspond  rather  c'osely  to  those 
printed  by  Miss  Goldy  Hamilton.  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol. 
XXVII,  p.  297). 

The  variant  from  Nebraska  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII, 
p.  281)  has  more  of  the  suggestion  of  the  ballad.19 

Mr.  Edwin  F.  Piper  prints  a  variant,  which  is  much  longer 
and  the  reference  to  the  "Lincoln  boys,"  suggests  that  it  was  in 
in  some  way  related  to  a  Civil  War  ballad.  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore, 
vol.  XXVIII,  p.  286.) 

It  is  interesting  historically,  to  find  this  title,  "The  Girl  I  Left 
Behind  Me"  as  the  name  of  the  traditional  air  which  was  the  tune 
to  the  Kirkby  Malzeard  Sword  dance.  It  is  otherwise  known  as 
"Brighton  Camp."  (C.  J.  Sharp.  Sword  Dances,  page  40.) 

Go  in  and  out  the  Windows. 


JM*     K 

fe^-S-J1 


J, 


tf 

We're  marching  round  the  lev-y,  We're  marching  round  the  lev- y,  We're 


march- ing  round    the    lev  -    y,      For        we    have  gained  the    day. 


1.  : We're  marching  round  the  levy, :  3  times 
For  we  have  gained  the  day. 

2.  :Go  in  and  out  the  window, :  3  times 
For  we  have  gained  the  day. 

3.  :Go  forth  and  choose  your  lover, :  3  times 
For  we  have  gained  the  day. 


19  The  ballad  of  this  name,  printed  in  "Heart  Songs,"  p.  66,  is  dissimilar  to  the 
words  and  music  given  above. 


48  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

4.  :I  kneel  because  I  love  you, :  3  times 
For  wo  have  gained  the  day.20 

5.  :I  measure  my  love  to  show  you, :  3  times 
For  we  have  gained  the  day. 

6.  :One  kiss  before  I  leave  you, :  3  times 
For  we  have  gained  the  day. 

b.  1.     All  join  hands  and  circle  left.     One  player  leaves  the  ring 
and  winds  in  and  out  under  the  clasped  hands  of  the  players. 
He  aims  to  make  a  complete  circuit  by  going  under  every  arch  of 
clasped  hands  (i.  e.  in  and  out  every  window)  during  the  singing 
of  2.     At  the  same  time  those  in  the  ring  are  circling  left.     At  3, 
they  stand  still  while  the  one  who  has    gone  under  the  arches 
chooses  a  partner  and  stands  facing  her.     At  4,  he  kneels  before 
her.     At  5,  while  still  kneeling,  he  measures  with  his  arms  or  his 
fingers  the  extent  of  his  love.     At  6,  he  kisses  his  chosen  partner 
and  takes  the  place  at  her  left  in  the  ring.     The  person  whose  place 
he  has  taken  is  the  next  to  "go  in  and  out  the  windows."     The 
game  may  be  repeated  indefinitely. 

c.  This  game  is  very  widely  known  among  the  children,  and  is 
also  a  popular  play-party  game. 

d.  Variants  are  found  in  a  number  of  books  and  magazine  articles. 
Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  pp.  306-7. 

Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore  for  1914,  p.  250,  The  Game  "Go  in-dang- 
out  de  Window"  was  played  by  negroes  many  years  ago. 
Mari  Ruef  Hofer.  Children's  Singing  Games,  p.  16. 
Notes  and  Queries.     XXVII,  pp.  252-5. 
John  Hornby.   The  Joyous  Book  of  Singing  Games,  p.  39. 
Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVI,  p.  138. 


20  The  last  three  stanzas  are  often  sung'  by  the  hoy  alone.     In  that  case  the  last 
line  of  each  stanza  is  "For  I  have  gained  the  day." 


S.  B. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  49 

Go  to  Boston. 

Mrs.  Susan  Ballman.  Versailles,  Ind. 


Now,  boys,)  ou  may  go  to  Bos-ton,  Now,boys,,you  may  goto  Bos-ton, 


p 


J 


No\v,boys,youmay  go  to  Bos-ton,  So  ear  -  ly     in    the  morn-ing. 


a. 


1  .     Now  boys  you  may  go  to  Boston, 
Now  boys  you  may  go  to  Boston, 

2.  Now  boys  you  may  go  to  Boston, 
So  early  in  the  morning. 

3.  :Now  girls  you  may  go  to  Boston,  :  3  times 
So  early  in  the  morning. 

4.  :A11  together  we'll  go  to  Boston,  :  3  times 
So  early  in  the  morning. 

b.     Longways  dance  for  any  number  of  couples  above  two. 

Boys  stand  in  line  facing  a  corresponding  line  of  girls,  partners 
opposite.  During  1,  the  top  couple  meet  and  promenade  down 
the  center  and  at  2  they  retrace  their  steps  backward  to  position. 

Alternate  stanzas  1  and  2.  Repeat  with  couple  2  performing 
the  figure.  Continue  repeating  until  the  couples  in  the  upper  half 
of  the  lines  have  gone  through  the  figure. 

Continue  repeating  with  the  couples  from  the  bottom  half 
of  the  line,  the  direction  of  the  promenade  being  reversed. 

At  4,  all  partners  promenade  in  a  straight  line,  trace  a  rectangle 
and  come  back  to  position. 


Green-Leaf. 


Miss  Rena  Bushing. 


Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  Ind. 


On  to  the  next  and  cir-cle  four,Green-leaf  so  green,Right  handcross'd^lw 


fe^  * 

^3 

^^ 

Hi 

'  J    m 

*=$= 

F==^ 

=1 

left    hand  back, You  knowver-y  well  what    I      mean. 


50  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

a. 

1 .  On  to  the  next  and  circle  four, 
Green-leaf  so  green, 

2.  Right  hand  crossed,  3,  the  left  hand  back, 
You  know  very  well  what  I  mean. 

4.     Swing  her  by  the  left,  5,  swing  her  by  the  right, 

Green-leaf  so  green, 
6.     Balance  all  and  swing  her  all  about, 

You  know  very  well  what  I  mean. 

b.  The  players  stand  in  couples  around  the  room,  each  girl 
being  at  the  left  of  her  partner.  At  1,  two  adjacent  couples  enter 
center  and  face  each  other,  the  boys  being  opposite  each  other. 
They  circle  left.  At  2,  the  two  girls  cross  right  hands  and  at  3, 
the  two  boys  cross  left  hands. 

The  first  couple  then  falls  back  to  original  position  and  the 
second  couple  passes  on  to  the  next  couple  at  the  right  who  enter 
the  center.  At  4,  the  two  couples  face,  the  boys  being  opposite 
each  other.  Each  boy  takes  the  right  hand  of  his  partner  and 
swings,  then,  at  5,  the  left  hand  of  the  contrary  girl  and  swings. 

At  6,  the  couples  are  again  facing  each  other.  The  girls  turn 
left,  the  boys  right;  each  boy  takes  the  right  hand  of  his  partner 
and  passes  her  by  the  right;  he  then  takes  the  left  of  the 
contrary  girl  whom  he  passes  by  the  left.  The  second  couple 
then  return  to  their  original  places  and  the  figure  is  repeated  with 
the  third  and  fourth  couples.  Continue  repeating  until  every 
couple  has  been  in  the  center. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Hay-o-My-Lucy-o 


51 


Miss  Ethel  Ballman,  Versailles,  Ind. 


f  !.  g  r     ^-^3 

K         >          .  , 

ffi^*  r   =ft= 

•    j'    j  —  =1 

Lfc=J 

3 

Hay    -     o     -     my  -  Lu    -   cy    -    o,          Bon-  nie,     bon  -  nie, 


I'd         give         this       world         and 


all        I     know,    To    change  and  swing    my      Lu  -  cy    -    o 


Here         we 


top     -      sy     -     tur     -     vey, 


Round  the     room      we  go.          Hay 


°>     Change  and  swing  my      Lu  -   cy  -    o  . 


Boys      1.  Hay-o-my-Lucy-o,  bonnie,  bonnie  Lucy-o, 

sing.  I'd  give  this  world  and  all  I  know, 

2.  To  change21  and  swing  my  Lucy-o. 

All          3.  Here  we  go  topsy-turvy, 

sing.  Round  the  room  we  go,  hay-o-Lucy-o, 

4.  Change  and  swing  my  Lucy-o. 

Mrs.  Harry  Danaker,  Splashville. 

b.  Eight  couples  play  this.  Two  lines  are  formed  facing  each 
other.  In  one  line  there  is  a  boy,  then  a  girl,  then  a  boy,  etc., 
in  the  other  line  a  girl,  then  a  boy,  then  a  girl,  etc.,  in  such  a  way 
that  partners  are  opposite  each  other.  During  1,  each  boy  pre- 
tends to  be  very  much  interested  in  the  girl  at  his  right,  but  all 
the  time  he  is  slyly  winking  at  the  girl  opposite  him.  At  2,  he 
lets  go  of  the  arm  of  the  girl  at  his  right  and  jumps  over  to  the 
opposite  line  and  swings  his  partner.  During  3,  the  partners 
promenade,  and  at  4,  partners  swing. 


21   It  is  sometimes  sung  "To  get  to  swing  my  Lucy-o." 


52 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


Miss  Ethel  Ballman,  Versailles,  gives  the  above  melody  and 
the  following  additional  stanzas: 

Hay-o-my-Lucy-o,  my  Lucy-o,  my  Lucy-o, 
Hay-o-my-Lucy-o,  my  little  Irish  gal. 

I  went  to  see  my  Lucy-o,  my  Lucy-o,  my  Lucy-o, 
I  went  to  see  my  Lucy-o,  my  little  Irish  gal. 

Here  Come  Four  Dukes  A-Riding. 


Here  come  four  dukes  a- rid  -  ing,'  a  -  rid  -ing,  a  -  rid  -  ing,  Here 


come  fourdukes  a  -    rid  -  ing,    Tis    a      ma  tas    a     ma   tee. 


a. 


Boys  1. 


Girls 


Bovs 


Girls 


Boys 


Girls 


Here  come  four22  dukes  a-riding,  a-riding,  a-riding  2, 
Here  come  four  dukes  a-riding, 
Tis  a  ma  tas  a  ma  tee. 

What  are  you  riding  here  for,  here  for,  here  for? 
What  are  you  riding  here  for? 
Tis  a  ma  tas  a  ma  tee. 

We're  riding  here  to  get  married,  married,  married, 
We're  riding  here  to  get  married, 
Tis  a  ma  tas  a  ma  tee. 

Please  take  one  of  us,  sir,  us  sir,  us  sir, 
Please  take  one  of  us  sir, 
Tis  a  ma  tas  a  ma  tee. 

You're  all  too  black  and  dirty,  dirty,  dirty, 
You're  all  too  black  and  dirty, 
Tis  a  ma  tas  a  ma  tee.23 

We're  just  as  clean  as  you  are,  you  are,  you  are, 
We're  just  as  clean  as  you  are, 
Tis  a  ma  tas  a  ma  tee.23 


22  Any  number  may  be  used  but  it  is  ordinarily  three  or  four. 

23  Well  known  variations  which  are  substituted  for  these  two  stanzas  are:  "You're 
all  as  stiff  as  pokers,"  and  the  retort,  "We  can  bow  as  well  as  you,  sirs." 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  53 

Boys  I  think  then  I'll  take  you  miss,  you  miss,  you  miss, 

I  think  then  I'll  take  you  miss, 
Tis  a  ma  tas  a  ma  tee,.24 

b.  The  boys  form  in  line  and  lock  arms.  The  girls  do  the  same, 
facing  the  line  of  the  boys  but  about  six  steps  from  them.  At  1, 
the  boys  advance  with  prancing  gait  toward  the  girls;  at  2,  they 
recede  and  at  3,  advance  again;  at  4,  receding  to  their  former 
position.  The  girls  then  advance  and  recede  from  the  boys  keeping 
the  same  time.  Stanzas  5  and  6  are  dramatic  in  expression. 
During  the  second  line  of  the  last  stanza  each  boy  takes  the  arm 
of  one  of  the  girls  and  skips  away  with  her.25 

c.-d.  This  is  very  widely  known.  Mrs.  Gomme  (Traditional 
Games,  vol.  II,  pp.  233-48)  gives  thirty  British  versions.26 
Mr.  Newell  (Games  and  Songs,  pp.  47-50)  prints  three  American 
versions.  As  an  American  game  it  is  known  in  New  England, 
Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  West  Virginia,  New  York,  Illinois,  Missouri, 
Louisiana,  Mississippi,  California  and  Indiana,  also  in  eastern 
Canada  and  probably  elsewhere. 

Mrs.  Gomme  calls  attention  to  a  number  of  features  of  the 
game  which  mark  it  as  being  very  old.  She  writes  as  follows:27 
"In  this  game  ...  we  have,  I  believe,  a  distinct  survival  or  remem- 
brance of  the  tribal  marriage — marriage  at  a  period  when  it  was 
the  custom  for  men  of  a  clan  to  seek  wives  from  the  girls  of  another 

clan,  both  clans  belonging  to  one  tribe It  will  be  seen  that 

there  is  no  mention  of  'love'  in  the  game,  nor  is  there  any  individual 
courtship  between  boy  and  girl.  The  marriage  formula  does  not 
appear,  nor  is  there  any  sign  that  'ceremony'  or  'sanction'  to 
conclude  the  marriage  was  necessary,  nor  does  kissing  occur  in  the 
game."  Further,  "There  is  little  doubt  that  this  refrain  (with 
a  rancy,  tancy  tay)  represents  an  old  tribal  war  cry,  from  which 
'slogans'  or  family  'cries'  were  derived."  She  points  out  that  the 


24  "With  a  ransy  tansee  tee,"  is  quite  as  commonly  known  as  this  line.  We  played 
the  game  also  with  the  ending — 

The  fairest  one  that  I  can  see,  that  I  can  see,  that  I  can  see. 

The  fairest  one  that  I  can  see,  is  pretty  Miss —     —  come  walk  with  me. 

25  At  this  point  there  are  several  variations  in  playing  the  game  and  these  add 
much  to  its  attractiveness.     In  choosing  partners,  one  boy  may  choose  and  take  his 
girl  back  with  him  in  the  duke-line  then  all  advance  again  the  second  time,  when 
another  boy  chooses  a  wife.     Finally,  all  four  boys  and  the  three  girls  advance,  at 
which  time  the  fourth  boy  chooses  the  last  girl. 

26  The  Misses  Fuller  of    Shropshire,  England,    played  this  at  the  Little  Theatre. 
Chicago,  March  1914,  as  one  of  *iie  games  t.hev  had  learned  when  children. 

27  Trad.  Games,  vol.  II,  p.  253. 


54  THE  PLAY-PAUTY  IN  INDIANA. 

expression,  ''walk  with  me,"  or  "walk  abroad  with  me,"  signifies 
engagement.28 

The  numerous  variants  of  the  game  which  are  collected  in 
"Traditional  Games,"  give  a  valuable  basis  for  the  study  of  the 
changes  which  time  and  the  numerous  singers  have  made.  Mrs. 
Gomme  draws  from  these  the  basis  for  the  possible  line  of  de- 
cadence in  the  game.  If  her  general  outline  is  correct,  then  she 
would  explain  the  additions  as  "instances  of  the  tacking  on  of 
verses  from  the  'invitation  to  the  dance'  or  'May  games.'  "29 
Of  the  significance  of  the  line  formation  we  shall  have  occasion  to 
speak  later. 

Mr.  Newell30  calls  this  game  only  a  later  development  of 
"Three  Kings"  which  is  itself  a  "rude  and  remarkable  variety"  of 
"Knights  of  Spain."  This  last  is  known  in  a  number  of  forms  in 
Europe  "from  Latin  France,  Italy  and  Spain,  to  Scandinavian 
Iceland,  from  the  Finns  of  the  Baltic  Coast  to  the  Slavs  of  Mo- 
ravia" and  was  doubtless  brought  to  the  United  States  by  the  early 
settlers.31  Judging  from  the  mercantile  negotiations  of  the 
courtship,  he  concludes  that  "we  may  be  tolerably  sure  that  the 
first  diffusion  of  the  game  in  Europe  dates  far  back  into  the  Middle 
Ages."  In  our  game  "Here  Come  Four  Dukes,"  though  the  mer- 
cenary character  of  the  courtship  is  replaced  by  coquetry,  yet 
the  line  formation  and  the  distinct  separation  of  the  two  groups 
remain. 


28  Mrs.  Gomme.  Trad.  Games,  vol.  II,  p.  252. 

29  Mrs.  Gomme.  Trad.  Games,  vol.  II,  p.  252. 

30  Games  and  songs,  pp.  47  and  46  respectively. 

31  Ibid.  pp.  38-45. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


55 


S.  B. 


Here  Comes  a  Queen  from  Dover. 

Mrs.  Susan  Ballmaii,  Versailles,  Ind. 


^    I  J1    Jl 


Here  comes     a       Queen    from       Dov    -     er,         this 


ver  -  y  night  came  Dov  -  er, Shall     she  be    at  -  tend  -  ed     or 


)?          No        be         Queen  be       not       of  -    fend     -    ed ,     For 


'  J-  J'  *  ^ 


'   , 


you  shall  be    at-tend-ed,    By      all     the    re-spects       (hat  we 


owe,  we    owe, we    owe,     By        all      the      re      spects      that  we 


J.    j    Ij.  Ji^iji  J    J'  JMJ 


5.    Oh, 


is  your  bot-tle    out,  let     us    see,   let     us  see,   Oh, 


»   J    J 


is      your     bot   -  tie        out,       let        us        see,  If       your 


;,  j. 


;,  j 


bot-tle    be    not    out,  We  will    have  an-  oth  -  er     bout,  So    come 


•J'  J'  J'  j, 


j    j,  ;,  J 


down  and  chooseyour  las-sie,  Let     us       see  who  she    be,      So  come 


J' 


Jl       J,       J>       Jl        J,       J,        |J          j;         j 


down  and  chooseyour  las  •  sie,    Let       us         see    who      she   bo. 

a.  Here  comes  a  Queen  from  Dover,  This  very  night  came  Dover, 
Shall  she  be  attended  or  no?  No  be  Queen  be  not  offended, 
For  you  shall  be  attended,  By  all  the  respects  that  we  owe, 
We  owe,  we  owe,  By  all  the  respects  that  we  owe. 

Oh,  is  your  bottle  out,  Let  us  see,  let  us  see. 

Oh  is  your  bottle  out,  Let  us  see, 

If  your  bottle  is  not  out,  We  will  have  another  bout, 

So  come  down  and  choose  your  lassie.  Let  us  see  who  she  be, 

So  come  down  and  choose  your  lassie,  Let  us  see  who  she  be. 

b.  Longways  dance. 


56  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Here  We  Go  Round  the  Mulberry  Bush. 

n    J  .MJ  Jr 


Here  we  go  round  the  mulberry  bush,the  mulberry  bush,  the  mulberry  bush, 


1  1  r  --j   t-   j 


Here  we  go  round  the  mul-berry  bush, So  ear  -  ly       in     the    morn -ing 

Here  we  go  round  the  mulberry  bush, 
The  mulberry  bush,  the  mulberry  bush, 
Here  we  go  round  the  mulberry  bush. 
So  early  in  the  morning.32 

The  following  stanzas  are  after  the  same  pattern. 
This  is  the  way  we  wash  our  hands,  etc. 
This  is  the  way  we  wash  our  clothes,  etc. 
This  is  the  way  we  go  to  church,  etc. 
This  is  the  Avay  we  go  to  school,  etc. 

A  common  variation  of  this  has  one  stanza  concerning  the 
work  peculiar  to  each  day  of  the  week.  In  the  dance,  the  children 
do  this  work  in  pantomime.  Any  new  stanzas  are  usually  plcnsing 
for  a  time. 

Here  we  go  round  the  mulberry  bush,  etc. 
This  cold  and  frosty  morning. 

This  is  the  way  we  wash  our  clothes, 
All  on  a  Monday  morning. 

This  is  the  way  we  iron  our  clothes, 
All  on  a  Tuesday  morning. 

This  is  the  way  we  mend  our  clothes, 
All  on  a  Wednesday  morning. 

This  is  the  way  we  go  to  call, 
All  on  a  Thursday  morning. 

This  is  the  way  we  sweep  the  house, 
All  on  a  Friday  morning. 

This  is  the  way  we  bake  our  bread, 
All  on  a  Saturday  morning. 

This  is  the  way  we  go  to  church, 
All  on  a  Sunday  morning. 


32  Or,  "This  cold  and  frosty  morning." 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  57 

b.  During  the  singing  of  the  first  stanza  the  players  join  hands 
and  circle  to  the  left.     While  singing  the  succeeding  stanzas  each 
person,  in  pantomime  fashion,  shows  how  the  work  is  done.     Any 
sort  of  work  that  can  well  be  illustrated  may  be  the  theme  of  a 
stanza. 

c.  This  is  very  well  known  in  America.     (Newell,  Games  and 
Songs,  pp.  86-87). 

d.  Mrs.  Gomme  (Trad.  Games,  vol.  I,  p.  404)  gives  the  music. 
The  first  and  third  phrases  are  identical  with  ours  and  the  other 
two  are  very  nearly  the  same. 

Other  variants  are  printed  in,  The  Folk-lore  Record,  vol.  IV, 
p.  174;  Halliwell  Popular  Nursery  Rhymes,  p.  224;  R.  Chambers, 
Popular  Rhymes  of  Scotland,  pp.  134-5;  Mari  Ruef  Hofer,  Chil- 
dren's Singing  Games,  p.  18;  Pedersen  and  Boyd,  Folk-Games; 
Marion  B.  Newton,  Graded  Games  and  Rhythmic  Exercises, 
pp.  2,  22,  64. 

Mrs.  Gomme  (Trad.  Games,  i,  p.  407)  says:  "This  game 
originated,  no  doubt,  as  a  marriage  dance  round  a  sacred  'tree' 
or  'bush.'  .  .  .  Trees  were  formerly  sacred  to  dancing  at  the  mar- 
riage festival,  as  at  Polwarth  in  Berwickshire,  where  the  custom 
once  prevailed."33 

Mr.  Newell  (Games  and  Songs,  p.  236)  sees  in  this  a  relic  of 
the  May-Day  dancing  in  a  circle  around  the  "bush"  or  "tree." 

Considering  that  the  tunes  to  the  songs  are  the  same,  we  may, 
I  think,  see  a  connection  between  this  game  and  ''Here  We  Come 
Gathering  Nuts  in  May,  This  Cold  and  Frosty  Morning."34 
(Newell.  Games  and  Songs,  pp.  236-7.) 

The  refrain,  "So  early  in  the  morning"  is  attached  to  several 
American  games,  e.  g.,  Mrs.  Ames  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol. 
XXIV,  p.  317)  and  Miss  Hamilton  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol. 
XXVII,  p.  293)  give  this  refrain  to  the  game,  "The  Juniper 
Tree."  Miss  Hamilton's  variant  of  "Little  Brown  Jug"  (Jour. 
Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII,  p.  296)  and  "Three  Old  Bums" 
(ibid,  p.  301)  have  the  same. 


33  New  Statistical  Account  of  Scotland,  Polwarth,  Berwickshire,  vol.  II,  p.  234. 

34  Mari  Ruef  Hofer.  Popular  Folk  Games,  p.  32. 
Mrs.  Gomme.  Trad.  Games,  vol.  I,  pp.  424-28. 
Folk-lore  Journal,  vol.  VII,  p.  225. 

Ideal  Home  Music  Library,  vol.  X,  p.  224. 


58 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


HUNT  THE  BUFFALO. 

This  title  is  often  given  to  the  game  noted  supra  as  "Chase  the 
Buffalo"  and  "Shoot  the  Buffalo." 

I'm  A  Poor  Old  Chimney  Sweeper. 

Newton  Jackson. 


I'm           a        poor 

—  JJ  —  kJ  E= 

old       chim   -    ney 

i  1  ' 

sweep-  er 

I 

^Sr  1'  J  fl  —  [-  ft— 

r    py  ft    J  s 

-P  fi  —  r— 

—  fi  

have  but  one  daughter  and  can    not  keep    her    Since  she    has      re 


u 


solved  to     mar    ry,  Go  .choose  your  lover  and     do      not   tar  •  ry 

a.  1.     I'm  a  poor  old  chimney  sweeper, 

I  have  but  one  daughter  cannot  keep  her. 

2.  Since  she  has  resolved  to  marry, 

Go  choose  your  lover  and  do  not  tarry. 

3.  Now  you  have  one  of  your  own  choosing, 
Hasten  away,  no  time  for  losing. 

4.  Join  your  right  hands,  5  this  broom-stick  step  over, 
And  kiss  the  lips  of  your  true  lover. 

Mr.  Newton  Jackson,  Versailles,  Ind. 

b.  Circle  dance  for  any  number  of  players. 

All  join  hands  to  form  a  circle  around  one  boy  who  stands  in 
the  center  and  sweeps  the  ground  with  a  large  broom.  During  1, 
those  in  the  ring  circle  left.  At  2,  the  boy  in  the  center  circles 
right  inside  the  ring,  scanning  the  girl  players  for  a  partner.  He 
carries  the  broom  in  his  right  arm  as  if  it  were  a  gun,  and  at  3 
places  it  on  the  ground  between  him  and  the  girl  chosen.  At  4, 
they  join  right  hands.  At  5,  each  places  his  right  foot  over  the 
broomstick  and  the  boy  kisses  his  partner.  He  steps  over  the 
broomstick,  taking  his  partner's  former  place  in  the  ring.  At  the 
same  time  she  steps  over  the  broomstick,  picks  it  up,  and  takes 
his  place  in  the  center. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  the  girl  inside  the  ring. 

c.  Miss  Hamilton  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII,  pp.  289- 
303)  gives  this  as  a  game  in  Missouri.     That  variant  uses  the  third 
person  instead  of  first  but  otherwise  there  is  practically  no  difference. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Itiskit. 


59 


I       sent      a       let  -  ter         to     my   love,  I       tho't       I     put       it 


=^ 


in       my     glove,  But        on      the    way        I         dropped    it,        I 


dropped  it,        I     dropped  it,    But       on    the  way      I      dropped  it.   And 


1 


some    of    you    have  picked  it     up,  And  put     it       in  your  pock-et  . 

a. 

I  sent  a  letter  to  my  love,  I  thought  I  put  it  in  my  glove, 

But  on  the  way  I  dropped  it,  I  dropped  it,  I  dropped  it, 

But  on  the  way  I  dropped  it. 

And  some  of  you  have  picked  it  up, 

And  put  it  in  your  pocket. 

Itiskit,  itaskit,  a  green  and  yellow  basket, 

I  took  a  letter  to  my  love,  and  on  the  way  I  lost  it, 

I  lost  it,  I  lost  it. 

b.  This  game  is  familiar  under  the  name  of  "Drop  the  Handker- 
chief." All  form  in  a  circle,  excepting  one  player.  While  they 
sing  the  stanza  given  above,  one  person  skips  around  the  outside 
of  the  ring  and  drops  a  handkerchief  behind  one  of  the  players. 
The  persons  in  the  ring  are  allowed  to  look  behind  them  once  after 
each  circuit  which  the 'handkerchief-dropper  makes.  As  soon 
as  the  person  behind  whom  the  handkerchief  has  been  dropped, 
discovers  it,  he  picks  it  up  and  runs  around  the  circle  in  pursuit 
of  the  one  who  dropped  it.  If  he  succeeds  in  catching  him,  the 
dropper  must  stand  in  the  center  of  the  ring  "the  mush  pot." 
The  second  person  then  continues  skipping  around  the  circle  while 
the  stanza  is  sung  again.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  person  behind 
whom  the  handkerchief  is  dropped  does  not  discover  it  until  after 
the  dropper  has  come  back  to  him,  he  goes  in  the  "mush  pot." 
So  the  game  goes  on  until  all  are  in  the  "mush  pot"  excepting  two 
players. 


60  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Often  a  way  is  provided  for  an  alert  player  to  get  out  of  the 
"mush  pot."  If  he  can  snatch  the  handkerchief,  before  the  person 
behind  whom  it  has  been  dropped,  discovers  it,  he  becomes 
"dropper"  and  the  slow  person  takes  his  place  in  the  "mush  pot." 

In  a  large  circle  there  are  usually  two  "droppers"  and  they  run 
in  opposite  ways  around  the  ring.  This  means  that  there  are 
four  running,  much  of  the  time.  This  adds  to  the  confusion  and 
also  to  the  fun  of  the  game. 

c.  This  has  recently  lost  the  song  and  at  the  play-party  it  is 
merely  a  game  of  chase.     The  children  may  retain  the  song  in 
Ripley  County  but  I  think  not,  and  certainly  it  is  not  well  known 
today. 

d.  This  is  not,  strictly  speaking,  a  play-party  game.     It  was 
played  and  sung  on  the  school  ground  in  Versailles  about  ten  years 
ago  but  today  it  has  become  merely  a  game  of  chase.     Like 
"Three  Deep"35    it  has,  however,    a  connection  with    the  play- 
party.     "Drop  the  Handkerchief"  and  "Three  Deep"  have  the 
relation  to  the  play-party  which  "Authors"  and  "Chess"  some- 
times have  to  the  Euchre  party.     If  there  are  enough  guests  who 
object  to  the  dance  in  the  playing  games,  they  play  this.     It  is  the 
substitute  for  the  dance-games  and  as  such  is  very  popular  at 
play-parties  and  "roasts." 

Mrs.  Gomme  gives  fourteen  variants  (Trad.  Games,  vol. 
I,  pp.  306-8)  under  the  title  "Kiss  in  the  Ring." 

In  certain  variants,  if  the  "dropper"  is  caught  by  his  pursuer 
he  is  given  a  kiss,  and  in  one  the  marriage  formula  is  a  feature  of 
the  game.  (Mrs.  Gomme.  Trad.  Games,  vol.  I,  pp.  309-10.) 

The  expression,  "throw  (or  fling)  the  handkerchief,"  Mrs. 
Gomme  says  is  used  commonly  with  the  meaning  of  "an  expected 
proposal  of  marriage  which  is  more  of  a  condescension  than  a 
complimentary  or  flattering  one  to  the  girl."  Further  she  con- 
cludes that  "Kiss  in  the  Ring"  is  probably  a  relic  of  the  earliest 
form  of  marriage  by  choice  or  selection.  The  custom  of  dropping 
or  sending  a  glove  as  the  signal  of  a  challenge  may  have  been  suc- 
ceeded by  the  handkerchief  in  this  game."36 

Mr.  Newell  (Games  and  Songs,  pp.  168-9)  gives  this  in  connec- 
tion with  "Hunt  the  Squirrel." 


35  Another  game  of  chase. 

36  Mrs.  Gomme,  Trad.  Games,  vol.  T,  p.  310. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  61 

Jersey  Boy. 

a.  Jersey  Boy,  tis  you  I  call, 

Invitation  free  to  all, 
The  road  is  wide,  the  pathway  clear, 
Jersey  Boy,  come  volunteer. 

Apple  cider,  ginger  beer, 
Christmas  comes  but  once  a  year. 
The  road  is  wide,  the  pathway  clear, 
Jersey  Boy,  come  volunteer. 

c.  The  name  of  this  game  "Jersey  Boy"  is  familiar  to  several 
persons  of  Ripley  County  as  the  title  of  an  old  play-party  song,  but 
these  stanzas  were  contributed  by  Mr.  R.  W.  Stone,  who  played 
the  game  in  Jay  County,  Ind. 

Stanza  1  of  this  is  almost  identical  with  the  "Michigan  Girls," 
which  Mr.  Piper  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  283)  calls 
a  Virginia  reel. 


Kilamakrankie. 

a. 

1 .  Kilamakrankie's  a  very  fine  song, 

We  sing  and  dance  it  the  whole  day  long. 

2.  Down  on  this  carpet  you  must  kneel, 

3.  And  kiss  your  true  love  in  the  field.37 

Down  on  this  carpet  you  must  kneel, 
Sure  as  the  grass  grows  in  the  field. 
Salute  your  bride  and  kiss  your  sweet, 
And  then  you  may  rise  upon  your  feet. 

b.  Circle  dance  for  any  number  of  players  above  three. 

During  the  singing  of  1,  all  join  hands  and  circle  left  around 
one  girl  who  stands  in  the  center.  At  2,  she  chooses  a  boy  from 
the  ring  and  leads  him  to  the  center  where  they  kneel.  At  once 
all  of  the  players  in  the  circle  drop  hands  and  kneel.  At  3,  the 
girl  in  the  center  kisses  her  chosen  partner,  all  then  stand  and  she 
resumes  her  former  place  in  the  circle.  Repeat  from  the  beginning, 
the  boy  in  the  center  choosing  a  girl  as  partner.  Continue  re- 
peating until  each  player  has  been  in  the  center  at  least  once. 

c.  My  informant  says  she  played  this  game  eighty  years  ago. 


37  The  children  sang  this  line  like  this:    "And  kiss  your  true  love  in  the    heel." 


62 


THE^PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


King  William  Was  King  Jamie's  Son. 

Miss  Kuth  Brooks,  Memphis,  Tenn. 


^ 


King        Will  -   iam     was        King      Jam  -    ie's       son,    Who 


from        the        roy      -       al  race         did         come.         Up 


Jf             k 

k               r 

on 

his          breast           he           wore             a 

r      l 

star, 
:  1 

Like 

the         points        of         the        com     -    pass 

-jr- 

are. 

King  William  was  King  Jamie's  son, 
Who  from  the  royal  race  did  come. 
Upon  his  breast  he  wore  a  star, 
Like  the  points  of  the  compass  are. 

1 .  Go  choose  to  the  east,  go  choose  to  the  west, 
Go  choose38  the  one  that  you  love  best, 

If  she's  not  there  to  take  her  part, 
Choose  another  with  all  your  heart. 

2.  Down  on  this  carpet  you  must  kneel, 
Sure  as  the  grass  grows  in  the  field. 
Salute  your  bride  and  kiss  her  sweet.39 
Now  you  may  rise  upon  your  feet. 

b.  All,  excepting  one  boy,  join  hands  and  form  a  circle.  The  boy 
in  the  center  representing  King  William  (at  1)  chooses39*  his 
favorite  girl,  kneels, 39b  at  2,  salutes  her  and  kisses  her  hand,  then 
takes  a  place  in  the  ring  beside  her. 

The  game  known  in  Oregon,  New  Jersey  is  played  with  hats  and 

38  Look  to  the  East,  etc.,  is  more  common. 

39  A  more  common  way  of  singing  this  line  is : 

Kiss  your  bride,  oh  kiss  her  sweet.  Another  way  is: 
Hug  your  bride  and  kiss  her  sweet. 

39a  "Go  choose  to  the  east,  go  choose  to  the  west,"  is  probably  a  survival  of  the 
lines,  "Choose  for  the  worst.  Choose  for  the  best"  which  were  in  one  form  or  another 
a  characteristic  of  the  marriage  ceremony.  Mrs.  Gomme.  Trad.  Games,  i:  p.  304. 

39b  The  "carpet"  on  which  he  kneels  is  the  green  grass  in  almost  every  instance 
where  it  is  found  in  games  and  it  is  without  doubt,  the  meaning  here  because  of  the 
line  which  follows. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  63 

is  entirely  unlike  this  simple  marriage  game.  Mr.  Newell  does 
not  describe  the  "Kissing  Round"  of  the  Middle  and  Southern 
States  but  it  is  probably  this  same  game  that  he  knew.40  Mrs. 
Gomme  gives  three  variants  (Trad.  Games,  vol.  I,  pp.  302-4) 
but  the  point  to  these  games  lies  in  the  ability  of  the  lover  to 
recognize  his  sweetheart  in  disguise,  a  well-known  ballad  theme. 
Mr.  Newell  thinks  of  the  game  as  representing  a  test  of  affection. 

c.-d.  Variants.  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XIV,  p.  298;  Miss 
Goldy  Hamilton,  (words  alone)  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.^XXVII, 
p.  295;  Mrs.  Ames,  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  313. 
Miss  Amma  Frank  Johnson  of  Mississippi  contributes  the  following 
variant,  both  words  and  music. 


9 


King  William  was  King  George's  son,  He  the  roy-al  race,he  run,  Up  - 


J 


on    his  breast  he  wore    a    star,      Like    a      dia-mond  in     the    sky. 

King  William  was  King  George's  son, 
He  the  royal  race,  lie  run, 
Upon  his  breast  he  wore  a  star, 
Like  a  diamond  in  the  sky. 

Go  choose  to  the  east,  go  choose  to  the  west, 
Go  choose  the  one  that  you  love  best ; 
If  she's  not  there  to  take  her  part, 
Choose  another  with  all  your  heart. 

Upon  this  carpet  you  must  kneel, 
As  sure  as  the  grass  grows  in  the  field, 
Salute  your  bride  and  kiss  her  sweet. 
Now  you  rise  upon  your  feet. 

Mr.  Newell  (Games  and  Songs,  p.  75)  thinks  this  game  bears 
more  than  an  accidental  resemblance  to  a  certain  version  of  the 
popular  ballads  which  were  attached  to  the  Folke  Algotson  story.41 

In  the  Journal  of  American  Folk-lore  (vol.  XIV,  p.  298)  a 
variant  is  given  which  ends  with  the  following  lines: 


40  Newell.  Games  and  Songs,  pp.  73-75. 

41  A  Swedish  youth  carried  off  to  Norway  a  daughter  of  the  judge  of  East 
Gothland,  who  was  betrothed  to  a  Danish  noble. 


64  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

:Say  young  woman,  will  you  'list  and  go?:  two  times 
The  broad-brimmed  hat  you  must  put  on, 
And  follow  on  to  the  fife  and  drum. 

The  editor's  note  gives  a  very  different  interpretation  of  the 
game  and  its  origin.  "By  this  interesting  communication,  it  would 
seem  that  the  game  is  from  England  and  represented  recruiting 
in  war  times.  If  so  it  has  many  parallels  in  ballads." 

London  Bridge. 


Lon -don  bridge  is     f.ill-mg   down,    fall  -  ing  down,  fall  -  tng  down  , 


Lon  -  don  bridge   is      fall  -  ing    down,      my      fair        la    -  dy 

a. 

London  Bridge  is  falling  down,  falling  down,  falling  down, 
London  Bridge  is  falling  down,  my  fair  lady. 

What  has  this  poor  prisoner  done,  prisoner  done,  prisoner  done? 
What  has  this  poor  prisoner  done,  my  fair  lady? 

Stole  my  watch  and  lost  my  key,  etc. 
Off  to  prison  you  must  go,  etc. 

b.  This  is  especially  a  school  game.  Two  children  stand  in 
the  seats  to  the  desks  or  upon  the  desks  themselves  and  join 
hands  to  form  an  arch  over  the  aisle.  The  other  children  pass 
under  in  single  line.  At  the  last  stanza  the  hands  of  the  arch- 
bridge  fall  and  take  someone  as  prisoner.  He  is  allowed  to  choose 
which  prison.  The  ones  who  form  the  bridge  have  agreed  upon 
the  symbols  by  which  each  of  them  will  be  known.  One  has  per- 
haps chosen  a  watch,  the  other  a  chain,  one  an  orange,  the  other 
an  apple,  and  frequently,  one  red,  the  other  blue.  The  prisoner 
chooses  between  the  two  and  then  stands  behind  the  person  whose 
symbol  he  has  chosen.  The  game  continues  till  all  are  lined  up 
on  one  side  or  the  other.  Then  comes  a  tug  of  war  between  the 
two  sides,  the  followers  of  the  red  and  the  followers  of  the  blue. 
This  is  played  in  a  great  many  ways,  with  a  large  variety  of 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


65 


melodies  and  wide  variations  in  the  words.  The  game  in  England 
has  no  "tug  of  war"  ending. 

c.-d.  Mrs.  Gomme  (Trad.  Games,  vol.  i,  pp.  333-340)  gives  nine 
variants  and  three  melodies. 

Mr.  Newell  gives  five  (Games  and  Songs,  pp.  206-210)  and  in 
many  of  the  children's  books  of  rhymes,  games,  or  songs,  this  is  to 
be  found.42 

The  tune  of  a  country  dance  called  "London  Bridge"  is  given 
in  Playford's  Dancing  Master,  1728  edition. 

The  game  is  undoubtedly  very  old  but  what  it  represents  is  a 
question  of  some  dispute.  Mr.  Newell,  though  connecting  it 
with  the  ancient  superstitions  regarding  bridges  and  the  stories 
of  human  sacrifices  which  were  connected  with  bridge  building, 
gives  the  tug  of  war  a  mythological  interpretation. 

Mrs.  Gomme  points  out  that  this  tug  of  war  is  not  a  feature 
of  the  game  in  England  and  therefore  is  probably  an  American 
addition. 

Marching  to  Quebec. 


We're  marching  down  to  old        Que-btc,  The     bells  are    loud-ly 


ring  -  ing,     The          A  -  meri-cans  have     gained    the       day,     The 


j  h  j^  «r*j  1 1  ji  t— ^  ij>  J 

^f~~  ~^»  V)  V) 


Brit-ish     are          re     -      treat- ing.   O,  the    war     is    o'er,     And 


J'  J^  Ji 


r 


we'll  turn  back,  To  the  place  where  we     first        start -ed,     We'll 


J'  J.  J'  J'  I  Jl  J 


J- 


open  a  ring  and  choose  a  cou-ple  in,  To  re-lease  the  bro- ken -heart-ed. 


42  This  is  printed  as  a  children's  song  in  the  Ideal  Home  Music  Library,  vol.  X, 
p.  225  and  in  Little  Songs  of  Long  Ago,  collected  by  Alfred  Moffat.  Marion  B.  Newton 
also  includes  this  game  in  Graded  Games  and  Rhythmic  Exercises,  p.  24. 


66  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

a. 

1 .  We're  marching  down  to  old  Quebec, 
The  drums  are  loudly  beating. 
America  has  gained  the  day, 

And  the  British  are  retreating. 

2.  The  war  is  over  and  we'll  turn  back 
To  the  place  where  we  first  started, 

3.  We'll  open  a  ring  and  choose  a  couple  in 

4.  To  release  the  broken-hearted. 

Miss  Fannie  Stewart,  Brown  Tp. 

b.  Partners  take  promenade  position  and  march  forward  in  a 
straight  line  during  the  singing  of  1.     At  2,  the  line  makes  a 
double  turn  to  the  left  and  marches  back  in  a  line  parallel  to  that 
made  first.     At  3,  all  join  hands  to  form  a  circle,  circle  left,  and 
choose  a  couple  to  enter  center. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  the  last  center  couple  heading 
the  line.  This  couple  chooses  the  next  couple  to  enter  center. 

c.  Miss  Stewart  writes :   "This  game  was  played  fifty-three  years 
ago  by  an  elderly  man  who  sang  it  for  me." 

d.  Miss  Wedgwood   (Jour,  of  American  Folk-lore,  vol.   XXV, 
p.  27)  prints  the  words  and  music  to  this. 

The  words  of  Miss  Hamilton's  variant  "Old  Quebec"  are 
practically  the  same  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  303). 

Mr.  Newell  (Games  and  Songs,  pp.  125-26)  gives  two  ballad- 
like  pieces  of  doggerel,  one  a  stanza  which  went  with  a  game  and 
was  played  in  Philadelphia  the  first  of  the  last  century  (presum- 
ably about  1800),  the  other  consisting  of  three  stanzas  and  re- 
sembling those  ballads  which  tell  of  the  separation  of  lovers  in 
war  times.  Concerning  the  age  of  the  game,  Mr.  Newell  says: 
"This  piece  of  doggerel  may  be  of  revolutionary  origin,  as  it  can 
be  traced  to  near  the  beginning  of  the  present  century."43 

Miss  Stewart  writes  that  "during  the  Civil  War  times  they 
used  to  paraphrase  it  and  sing,  'The  Yankee  boys  have  gained 
the  day,  and  the  Rebels  are  retreating.'  ' 

Melven  Vine. 
a. 

1.  The  melven  vine  grows  around  the  tree, 
The  melven  vine  grows  around  the  tree, 

2.  Go  write  her  name,  and  send  it  to  me. 

43  The  statement  was  made  in  1883.     Games  and  Songs,  p.  125- 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


67 


3.  Morris  Jones  his  name  shall  be, 

4.  Morris  Jones  his  name  shall  be. 

5.  So  rise  you  up  and  she  will  sit  down, 
So  rise  you  up  and  she  will  sit  down. 

b.  One  girl  sits  on  a  chair  in  the  center  of  the  room  while  one 
couple  promenades  around  her  during  the  singing  of  1.  At  2, 
she  whispers  to  this  couple  the  name  of  the  boy  whom  she  chooses 
to  be  her  partner.  The  couple  in  the  center  sing  3,  supplying  the 
name  of  the  boy  chosen.  All  join  in  singing  4.  At  5,  the  girl 
who  has  occupied  the  chair  gets  up,  and  the  boy  whom  she  has 
named  takes  her  place  in  the  chair.  She  joins  hands  with  the 
couple  and  the  three  circle  left  around  the  boy. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  the  boy  in  the  chair.  At  2, 
he  gives  to  the  three  the  name  of  the  girl  whom  he  chooses.  At  5, 
he  joins  the  three  in  the  circle. 

Continue  repeating  until  all  of  the  players  are  on  the  floor. 

Mrs.  Peter  Geiling,  Laurel,  Ind. 


Miller  Boy 


Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  Ind. 


j. 


hap   -    py         is        the       mil    -  ler       boy      That 


J      J 


J'     ' 


lives      by       Ihe  mill,      He  takes    his        toll    with      a 


&  J  J  J  J 


free     good- will,   One        hand       in       the    hop  -per      and    the 


i^p^ 


a. 


oth-er    in   the  sack,  The  ladies  step  forward  and  the     gents  step  back. 


1 .  Happy  is  the  miller  boy  that  lives  by  the  mill, 
He  takes  his  toll  with  a  free  good  will, 

One  hand  in  the  hopper  and  the  other  in  the  sack, 

2.  The  ladies  step  forward  an  d  the  gents  step  back. 

Miss  Ruth  Flick,  Holton. 


68  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

O  happy  is  the  miller  boy, 
And  he  lives  by  himself, 
As  the  wheel  goes  round, 
He  gathers  in  his  wealth. 
One  hand  in  the  hopper, 
And  the  other  in  the  sack; 
As  the  wheel  goes  around 
The  boys  fall  back.44 

Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  Ind. 

b.  The  game  requires  an  uneven  number  of  players.  The  person 
(boy  or  girl)  who  is  without  a  partner  stands  in  the  center  and 
all  of  the  others  promenade  around  him  during  1.  The  movement 
is  regular  and  rather  quick  to  imitate  the  turning  of  a  wheel. 
At  2,  each  boy  drops  his  partner's  arm  and  tries  to  get  the  arm 
of  the  girl  behind  him  and  at  his  right.  While  the  change  is 
being  made,  the  one  in  the  center  (the  Miller)  tries  to  get  a  partner. 
If  he  (or  she)  succeeds  the  person  without  a  partner  is  the  one  in 
the  center  for  the  next  game;  if  he  (or  she)  fails  in  this,  then  he 
must  be  in  the  center  a  second  or  even  third  time. 

c.-d.  There  are  many  references  to  the  tune,  "There  Was  a 
Jolly  Miller."  D'Urfey  in  "Pills  to  Purge  Melancholy"  (vol.  iii, 
pp.  151ff  of  1707  edition)  mentions  this  as  being  used  in  several 
ballad  operas,  e.  g.,  "The  Quakers'  Opera,"  "The  Devil  to  Pay," 
and  "The  Fashionable  Lady"  or  "Harlequin's  Opera,"  under  the 
name  of  "The  Budgeon  It  Is  a  Delicate  Trade."  The  tune  to 
"The  Jolly  Miller"  was  in  1624  harmonized  by  Beethoven  for 
Geo.  Thomson  (Pills  to  Purge  Melancholy,  i,  p.  169).  Further 
"The  Jovial  Cobbler"  of  St.  Helen's  has  the  same  tune.  (Ibid, 
p.  169.) 

The  first  stanza  of  the  ballad  is  remarkably  like  certain  Amer- 
ican versions  of  the  game  song: 

How  happy's  the  mortal  that  lives  by  his  mill, 
That  depends  on  his  own,  not  on  Fortune's  wheel. 
By  the  sleight  of  his  hand,  and  the  strength  of  his  back 
How  merrily  this  mill  goes  clack,  clack,  clack. 

A  dialogue  song  "Oh  Jenny,  Jenny,  Where  Hast  Thou  Been?" 
follows  the  line  of  departure  which  is  shown  in  the  last  stanza 
of  the  preceding  ballad  quoted  above. 

Gummere.  Scottish  Ballads,  vol.  2,  p.  449.  The  Miller  of 
Dee,  is  related  to  the  same  story. 


44  This  was  a  popular  game  only  a  short  time  ago  in  Jay  County. 

Mr.  R.  H.  Strong. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  69 

Love  in  a  Village   (opera   1762)   There  Was  a  Jolly  Miller. 

Dryden.    Miscellany  Poems.     The  Miller  of  Dee. 

The  Convivial  Songster.    1782.     The  Miller  of  Dee. 

Walsh'  Compleat  Country  Dancing  Master.  The  Dusty 
Miller. 

Hornby.  The  Joyous  Book  of  Singing  Games.  Jolly  Miller, 
p.  60. 

c.  Games.  Mrs.  Gomme  (Trad.  Games,  ii,  pp.  436-7.  Vol.  i, 
pp.  289-293)  gives  eight  variants. 

Miss  Mari  Ruef  Hofer.     Children's  Singing  Games,  p.  23. 

Mrs.  Ames.  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  306.  The 
music,  which  she  gives  is  very  similar  to  that  above,  in  its  manner 
of  repetition  and  variation  of  the  phrases  and  in  rhythm,  but  the 
melodies  are  not  identical. 

Miss  Goldy  Hamilton.  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII, 
p.  293. 

Mr.  Addy  in  his  directions  for  the  game  as  played  in  Sheffield45 
uses  the  words  "young  men"  and  "young  women"  to  designate  the 
players.  This  would  indicate  that  the  game  was  played  by  young 
people  and  that  within  a  recent  date.  This  suggests  that  our 
older  play-party  games  may  be  directly  connected  with  the  dance 
games  of  England.  The  song  dances  of  the  Misses  Fuller  witness 
to  the  same  thing.46 

Mr.  Newell  in  this  instance  goes  farther,  and  considers  the 
game  as  being  the  predecessor  of  the  once-popular  ballads  of  the 
game.  After  quoting  the  first  stanza  from  "The  Happy  Miller"47 
he  concludes  thus :  "The  song  was  doubtless  formed  on  the  popular 
game;  but  the  modern  children's  sport  has  preserved  the  idea,  if 
not  the  elegance  of  the  old  dance  better  than  the  printed  words  of  a 
hundred  and  seventy  years  since."  His  meaning  seems  to  be  that 
this  ballad  followed  the  dancing  game  "The  Jolly  Miller"  and  was 
in  some  degree  indebted  to  it. 

It  is  important,  too,  that  this  game  which  has  changed  so 
little  in  the  words  and  manner  of  playing  has  melodies  in  Indiana 
and  Missouri,  which  are  almost  identical  with  the  first  one  which 
Mrs.  Gomme  gives.48  Her  second  melody,  though  in  the  Aeolian 
mode  so  common  to  English  ballads,  is  easily  recognized  as  being 
related  to  the  former.  The  third  which  she  gives  is  a  circular 


45  Mrs.  Gomme.  Trad.  Games,  vol.  1,  p.  291. 

46  See  the  game  "Here  Come  Four  Dukes  A-Riding,' 

47  D'Urfry.  Pills  to  Purge  Melancholy.  1707. 

48  Trad.  Games,  vol.  I,  p.  289. 


70  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

tune.49     Yet  even  lacking  as  it  does  the  final  cadence,  many  of 
the  intervals  are  the  same  as  the  other  tunes. 

The  numerous  variants  coming  as  they  do  from  such  widely 
separated  localities  show  remarkable  likeness  not  only  in  melody 
but  in  words  and  in  theme.  I  think  we  may  easily  account  for 
this.  The  theme  of  the  miller  who  so  wel  could  "stelen  corn  and 
tollen  thryes"50  has  never  ceased  to  be  of  interest.  The  farmers 
have  always  known  his  trickery  only  too  well.  The  satire  on  the 
miller  has  been  modern  for  centuries  and  it  is  retained  in  the  Cin- 
cinnati version  which  Mr.  Newell  prints : 

Happy  is  the  Miller,  that  lives  in  the  mill, 
While  the  wheel  goes  round  he  works  with  a  will, 
One  hand  in  the  hopper,  and  one  in  the  bag, 
The  mill  goes  round,  and  he  cries  out  "grab." 

The  phrasing  in  the  early  versions  was  concise,  and  it  was  also 
adapted  to  the  playing  of  the  game  as  well.  These  facts  probably 
account  for  the  slight  changes  in  words. 

Mrs.  Gomme  (Trad.  Games,  i.  p.  292)  gives  an  interesting  inter- 
pretation to  the  game:  "It  is  probable  that  the  custom  which 
formerly  prevailed  at  some  of  the  public  festivals,  of  catching  or 
'grabbing'  for  sweethearts  and  wives  is  shown  in  this  game."61 

49  C.  J.  Sharp.  English  Folk  Songs,  pp.  64  ff. 

50  G.Chaucer.  Prol.  to  Canterbury  Tales.  Vol.  II,  p.  562. 

51  Guthrie  (Scottish  Customs,  p.   168)  tells  of  a  Scottish  annual  solemnity   (at 
Campbeltown)  at  which  all  unhappy  couples  were  blindfolded  and  at  the  word,  "Cab- 
bay"  (seize  quickly)  every  man  laid  hold  of  the  first  woman  he  met  and  she  was  his 
wife  Until  the  next  year's  anniversary  of  the  custom.      (Quoted  by   Mrs.   Gomme. 
Trad.  Games,  vol.  I,  pp.  292-3.) 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


71 


Molly  Brooks. 


Miss  Alice  Delay,  Brown  Tp. 


P 


Mol  -  \y  Brooks  is    gone'the  isle,  Gone 'the  isle,    gone'the    isle, 


t.  J^  J.   J.  |J'  J'J'JtJilJ*  J' 


Mol  -  ly  Brooks  is    gone'the  isle,AndI  hope  she'll  never  re-  turn,  And   I 

;=fe 


p 


hope  she'll  never  re  -  lurn,  And  I  hope  she'll  never  re  -turn. 


J> 


'    ' 


1*  JMJ  J  I 


Mol  -  ly  Brooks  is    gone'the  isle,  And  I     hope  she'll  never  re  -turn. 

a.  1.     Molly  Brooks  is  gone  (to)  the  isle, 

Gone  (to)  the  isle,  gone  (to)  the  isle, 
Molly  Brooks  is  gone  (to)  the  isle, 
2.     And  I  hope  she'll  never  return, 
And  I  hope  she'll  never  return, 
And  I  hope  she'll  never  return. 
Molly  Brooks  is  gone  (to)  the  isle, 
And  I  hope  she'll  never  return. 

b.  Girls  join  hands  to  form  a  circle.    Boys  do  the  same,  forming 
a  circle  immediately  outside  that  of  the  girls,  i.  e.,   each  boy  is 
at  the  left  of,  and  a  step  behind  his  partner.     Girls  circle  to  the 
left  in  this  position,  while  boys  remain  standing  during  1.     After 
one  entire  circuit  girls  return  to  original  position. 


At  2,  the  girls  with  their  hands  still  clasped  throw  their  arms 
over  the  heads  of  the  boys  and  around  them.  Thus  the  boys, 
though  still  on  the  outside  and  making  the  larger  circle,  are  en- 
closed by  that  made  by  the  girls'  arms  (i.  e.,  make  basket).  Repeat 
from  the  beginning  with  the  girls  outside,  the  boys  inside. 


72 


A.  B.  j. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Needle's  Eye. 


Mrs.  Allie  B.  Jackson,  Versailles,  Ind. 


The  needle's  eye,  it   doth  sup-ply  The  thread  that  runs  so    true,    And 


r  Mr  p  r 


ma-ny  a  girl  have    I      let     go  ,  But    now     I   have  caught   you 


a. 

1  .     The  needle's  eye,  that  doth  supply, 

The  thread  that  runs  so  true, 

Many  a  beau  have  I  let  go 
2.     Because  I  wanted  you. 

I  won't  have  you, 
Because  I  can't  get  you, 
Many  a  lass  have  I  let  pass, 
Because  I  wanted  you. 

Miss  Fannie  Stewart,  Brown  Tp. 

b.  One  couple  join  hands  high  over  their  heads  and  form  an 
arch.  All  of  the  other  players  form  in  line,  each  girl  behind  her 
partner  and  each  person  having  both  hands  on  the  hips  of  the 
person  in  front  of  him.  The  long  line  then  passes  through  the 
arch  while  the  arch-makers  sing  1.  As  soon  as  possible  the  ones 
who  have  passed  under  without  breaking  line  circle  around  one 
of  the  arch-makers  and  join  with  those  who  have  not  been  under 
the  arch.  All  of  the  time,  the  persons  who  have  just  gone  through 
or  are  under  the  arch,  keep  pulling  forward,  while  those  behind, 
fearful  of  being  caught  pull  backward. 

The  arch-makers  secretly  choose  their  symbols,  silver  or  gold, 
ring  or  bracelet,  cake  or  pie,  apple  or  pear.  Whenever  they  sing  2, 
the  arch  falls  and  encloses  one  of  the  players.  He  must  choose 
between  the  symbols,52  and  then  leave  the  line  to  stand  behind 
the  arch-maker  whose  symbol  he  has  chosen. 

The  game  continues  until  the  players  are  divided  into  two 
separate  groups.  A  tug  of  war  ensues. 

52  The  game  as  played  thirty  years  ago  was  a  "kissing  game."  The  person 
caught  under  the  arch  had  to  kiss  the  arch-maker  whose  symbol  he  haa  chosen  and 
then  exchange  places  with  him,  the  former  becoming  arch-maker  and  the  latter  filling 
in  the  gap  in  the  line.  Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  the  new  arch-makers  and 
continue  repeating  until  each  player  has  been  caught  at  least  once.  My  informant 
says  further,  that  although  "kissing  games"  were  played  more  than  any  of  the  others, 
they  were  considered  even  then  as  being  rather  undignified. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


73 


c.-d.  Mari  Ruef  Hofer.  Children's  Singing  Games,  p.  17.  Mrs. 
Gomme.  Trad.  Games.  II,  pp.  228-232;  289-90.  W.  W.  Newell. 
Games  and  Songs,  pp.  89ff. 

Goldy  Hamilton.  Play-party  in  Missouri.  Jour.  Am.  Folk- 
lore, vol.  XXVII,  p.  298. 

Edwin  F.  Piper.  Some  Play-party  Games  of  the  Middle  West. 
Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  263. 

Mr.  Newell  (Games  and  Songs,  p.  81)  tells  of  this  interesting 
incident.  "When  a  French  savant  asked  the  peasants  of  La 
Chatre  why  they  performed  this  dance,  the  answer  was,  'To  make 
Dhe  hemp  grow.'  '  This  would  suggest  that  in  the  game  we  have 
a  relic  of  some  ancient  rite  of  worship. 

The  English  words  are  very  different  from  those  of  the  Ameri- 
can game. 


No  Sir. 


Mrs.  T.  N.  U. 


Mrs.  T.  N.  Underwood,  Correct,  Ind. 


p-p 


Tell  me    one  thing,  tell   me     tru  -  ly,  Tell  me    why    you  scorn  me 


so.  Tell  me  why  when  asked  a  question,Youwill  al-ways  an-swer  No. 


I     N   J 

'    I'J  J 


J          h 

• 


., 


a. 


"No, sir,       no,sir,  no ,  sir,        no,      No, sir,      no, sir,  no,  sir,        no." 


1 .  "Tell  me  one  thing,  tell  me  truly, 
Tell  me  why  you  scorn  me  so. 
Tell  me  why  when  asked  a  question, 
You  will  always  answer,  'No!'  " 


Refrain — 


"No  Sir,  No  Sir,  No  Sir,  No, 
"No  Sir,  No  Sir,  No  Sir,  No. 

2.  "My  father  was  a  Spanish  merchant, 
And  before  he  went  to  sea, 
He  told  me  to  be  sure  and  answer,  'No' 
To  all  you  said  to  me." 


74  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

3.  "If  when  walking  in  the  garden, 
Plucking  flowers  all  wet  with  dew, 
Will  you  be  offended  if  I 
Have  a  walk  and  talk  with  you?" 

4.  "If  when  walking  in  the  garden, 
I  should  ask  you  to  be  mine, 
And  should  tell  you  that  I  love  you, 
Would  you  then  my  heart  decline?" 

d.  This  is  sometimes  sung  in  dialogue  by  a  boy  and  a  girl.  It 
bears  a  resemblance  to  the  riddle  ballads.  Not  by  answering 
questions  correctly,  but  by  asking  them  in  the  right  way  does  he 
win  his  love. 

In  Mr.  Sharp's  book  of  Folk-Songs  from  Somerset,  series  4, 
pp.  46-47  is  the  song,  "O  No,  John!"  It  is  very  similar  to  the 
Indiana  song.  The  words  certainly  had  a  common  original. 
The  music,  however,  is  in  common  time  and  both  in  melody  and  in 
rhythm  it  is  very  different  from  the  song  as  I  heard  it.  Mrs. 
Underwood,  the  lady  from  whom  I  received  the  song,  is  of  Scotch 
descent  and  it  is  probable'  that  her  variant  represents  the  words 
and  music  of  a  Scotch  parallel  to  the  Somerset  Song. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


75 


Mrs.  T.  N.  U. 


Nora  Darling. 

M.-s.  Thaddeus  Underwood.  Correct,  Ind. 


I  am  go    -     ing         far          a    -    way,         No  ra, 


dar   -  ling,  For     the       big     ship  lies      an-chored    in      the 


P  ^ 


hay,          By      the          ris    -    ing      of          the       sun,        By         the 


j 


sig-nal   of      the  gun,  I'll     be      rea    dy    for     to     take  you     a-way. 


=3 


Then          come     to   •  my    arms,  No  -    ra,    dar  -  ling,  Bid 


j.  J 


all     your    friends    in        Ire    -    land    Good  -  by,  For      'tis 


hap-  py   you   will     be,      In      that  land  of     lib-er  -  <y,      Liv-ing 


.;> 


hap     -     py        with        your         Ben      -     ny 

"I  am  going  far  away,  Nora,  darling. 
For  the  big  ship  lies  anchored  in  the  bay, 
By  the  rising  of  the  sun, 
By  the  signal  of  the  gun, 
I'll  be  ready  for  to  take  you  awav  " 


Coy. 


Refrain — 


"Then  come  to  my  arms  Nora,  darling, 
Bid  all  your  friends  in  Ireland  Goodby, 
For  'tis  happy  you  will  be, 
In  that  land  of  liberty, 
Living  happy  with  your  Benny  McCoy. 


76 


THE  PLAY-PARTY    IN   INDIANA. 


"Then  I'll  not  go  with  you  Benny,  darling, 
Once  before  I've  told  you  the  reason  why, 
If  from  my  mother  I  should  part 
It  would  surely  break  her  heart, 
But  then  I'll  not  forget  you,  Benny  McCoy." 

"Then  I  must  leave  you  Nora,  darling, 
Though  it  will  almost  break  my  heart  to  try. 
I  will  seek  some  other  part, 
I  will  wed  another  heart. 
And  you  will  never  more  see  Benny  McCoy." 

"Then  I'll  go  with  you  Benny,  darling, 
I,  my  parents  and  my  sisters  bid,  Goodby, 
I  will  roam  the  world  with  you, 
I  will  always  prove  true, 
I  will  roam  the  world  with  Benny  McCoy." 

d.  This,  like  "No  Sir"  and  "Billy  Boy"  is  .a  dialogue  song;  it  is 
dramatic  in  the  degree  to  which  the  two  actors  make  it,  but 
there  is  no  game  or  dance  to  it. 


Old  Brass  Wagon. 


Miss  E.  F.  Laud,  Shelby.  Tp 


Circle      to       the       left,       the        old       brass       wag   -   on, 


Circle  to  the    left,  the  old  brass  wag- on,  Circle  to    the  left,    the 


a. 


old    brass    wag  -  on,      You're  the      one,    my         dar  -    ling 


1.  :Circle  to  the  left,  Old  Brass  Wagon, :  3  times 
You're  the  one  my  darling.  • 

2.  :Swing  oh  swing  Old  Brass  Wagon, :  3  times 
You're  the  one,  my  darling. 

3.  : Promenade  home  Old  Brass  Wagon, :  3  times 

You're  the  one,  my  darling. 

4.  :Shoddish  up  and  down,  the  Old  Brass  Wagon, :  3  times 
You're  the  one,  my  darling. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  77 

5.  :Break  and  swing,  the  Old  Brass  Wagon, :  3  times 
You're  the  one,  my  darling. 

6.  :Promenade  around  the  Old  Brass  Wagon, :  3  times 

You're  the  one,  my  darling. 

Miss  E.  F.  Laud,  Shelby  Tp. 

b.  During  1,  all  join  hands,  boys  being  at  the  left  of  their  part- 
ners, and  circle  left.    At  2,  they  drop  hands  and  each  boy  swings 
his  partner.     During  3,  partners  promenade,  circling  to  the  right. 
Repeat  from  the  beginning,  while  singing  stanzas  4,  5  and  6. 

The  following  additions  were  made  by  Miss  Fannie  Stewart, 
Shelby  Tp. 

:Wheel  and  turn,  the  Old  Brass  Wagon, :  3  times 
You're  the  one,  my  darling. 

:The  Hoosier  girls,  they're  worth  having, :  3  times 
You're  the  one,  my  darling. 

c.  Miss  Hamilton  (Missouri  Play-Party.     Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore, 
vol.  XXVII,  pp.  298  and  302)  gives  the  majority  of  these  stanzas 
and  several  others. 

Mrs.  Ames  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  307)  gives 
words  that  are  very  similar  but  the  tune  is  different  from  that  in 
Indiana. 

Mr.  Edwin  F.  Piper  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  282) 
prints  a  version  of  "Old  Brass  Wagon"  with  a  quite  different  tune. 


78  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDINNA. 

Old  Dan  Tucker. 


Old   Dan  Tuck-  er's      still    in    (own,  Swing-  ing  Ihe     la  -  dies 


.    :  . 


all       a  -  round,     First   to  the  East  and    then    to  the  West,  And 

.•  j  ji  .h  j>  J' 


then    to  the  one  that    you  love-  best.    Get    out    of    the  way     of 

J' 


Old     Dan  Tuck-  er!     He's     to      late      to      get      his    sup  -  per. 


Sup-per'sover  and  breakfast's  cooking,01dDanTucker's  out    a-  look-ing. 

a. 

1.  Old  Dan  Tucker's  still  in  town, 

2.  Swinging  the  ladies  all  around, 

First  to  the  East  3  and  then  to  the  West, 

4.  Then  to  the  one  that  you  love  best. 

Chorus:  — 

5.  Get  out  of  the  way  of  Old  Dan  Tucker! 
He's  too  late  to  get  his  supper. 
Supper's  over  and  breakfast's  cooking, 

6.  Old  Dan  Tucker's  stands  a-looking. 

Old  Dan  Tucker's  a  fine  old  man, 
Washed  his  feet  (or  face)  in  tke  frying  pan, 
Combed  his  hair  with  a  wagon  wheel, 
And  died  with  a  tooth-ache  in  his  heel. 

Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  Ind 

1  .    Get  out  o'  the  way  for  Old  Dan  Tucker, 
He's  too  late  to  get  his  supper. 
Some  are  black  and  some  are  blacker, 
Some  are  the  color  of  a  chew  a'  terbacker. 

Ripley  County  variants. 

:Swing  three  ladies,  Old  Dan  Tucker,  :  3  timea 
Down  in  the  valley. 

•Promenade  round  Old  Dan  Tucker:  3  timea 
Down  in  the  valley 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  79 

:Circle  to  the  left  Old  Dan  Tucker, :  3  times 
Down  in  the  valley. 

:Right,  left  around,  Old  Dan  Tucker, :  3  time* 
Down  in  the  valley. 

:S\ving  oh  swing,  Old  Dan  Tucker:  3  times 
Down  in  the  valley. 

:Promenade  home,  Old  Dan  Tucker, :  3  times 
Down  in  the  valley. 

Miss  E.  F.  Laud,  Shelby  Tp. 

b.     Circle  dance  for  an  uneven  number  of  players  above  four. 

All,  excepting  one,  join  hands  to  form  a  circle,  each  boy  being 
at  the  left  of  his  partner.  During  1,  they  circle  left  around  the 
person  without  a  partner.  At  2,  each  boy  turns  right  and  swings 
his  partner,  at  3,  he  leaves  her,  turns,  and  swings  the  girl  who  was 
at  his  left.  At  4,  he  turns  back  and  swings  his  partner.  At  5, 
partners  face.  Each  boy  takes  the  left  hand  of  his  partner,  passes 
her  on  the  left,  then  takes  the  right  hand  of  the  next  girl  at  her 
right  passes  her  on  the  right.  Continue  this  "grand  right  and 
left"  figure  until  all  are  in  their  original  positions.  During  this 
last  change  the  one  in  the  center  tries  to  get  a  partner.  At  6, 
partners  swing.  The  person  who  is  left  without  a  partner  is  the 
one  in  the  center  for  the  next  figure. 

Sing  stanza  2,  and  chorus,  repeating  the  figure  from  the 
beginning. 

d.  An  interesting  variant  which  has,  I  think,  not  been  published 
is  the  following,  which  comes  from  Miss  Agnes  Taylor,  Hearne. 
Texas. 

Mr.  —       —  so  they  say, 
Goes  a  courtin'  every  day, 
Carries  a  pistol  by  his  side, 
Asks  Miss  —       —  to  be  his  bride. 

Old  Dan  Tucker  came  to  town, 
Riding  a  billy-goat,  leading  a  hound. 
Hound  gave  a  yelp,  the  goat  gave  a  jump, 
Landed  old  Tucker  straddle  of  a  stump. 

Miss  Hofer.  Popular  Folk-Games,  p.  58.  This  is  given  as  an 
old  American  barn  dance.  She  makes  the  interesting  statement 
that  "the  common  way  of  playing  this  is  at  present  being  revived 
in  the  ball-rooms."  Are  we  at  the  beginning  of  a  revival  of  Amer- 


80 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


ican  play-party  games,  similar  to  the  re-introduction  of  the  country 
dances  in  England?  I  think  we  may  detect  signs  of  such  a  move- 
ment. 

The  words  and  melody  given  by  Mrs.  Ames  (Jour.  Am.  Folk- 
lore, vol.  XXIV,  pp.  309-10)  are  very  similar  to  those  noted  above. 

Miss  Wedgwood  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXV,  pp.  272-3) 
prints  a  variant  which  is  practically  the  same  as  the  one  given 
above. 

The  ballad,  "Old  Dan  Tucker,"  is  to  be  found  in  the  "Ideal 
Home  Music  Library."  Vol.  X,  p.  273,  and  also  in  "Heart  Songs," 
p.  174. 

Mrs.  Peter  Ceiling  (Laurel,  Ind.)  states  that  the  following 
games  were  played  twenty-five  years  ago, — "Miller,  Weevily 
Wheat,  Melven  Vine,  Skip  Come-loo,  Snap,  Old  Sister  Phoebe, 
Getting  Married,  Chase  the  Squirrel,  Needle's  Eye  and  Marching 
to  Quebec.  The  last  six  mentioned  were  'kissing  games.'  ' 

Old  Sister  Phoebe. 

Mrs.  Win.  Hunter,  Versailles,  Ind. 


Jf    |U 

HJ  

1  L-  L  t-  1 

--&  N  5  !  

-fe  — 

HM 

High  - 

fc  K 

o,     Sis-ter  Phoe-be,    how    mer  -  ry  were    we,     The 

si 

«P        J 

night    we 

•^     •'  +*  ^  g-^  ^  —  ^  ^  »— 
sat       un  -  der       the         ju    -    ni  -  per     tree,     The 

J>    J       J' 



•» 

-1-*—                                           —  ^  —  «^^^ 

ju  -  ni-per  tree, high-  o,high-o,    The  ju  -  ni-per  tree,high-o 

1 .  Old  Sister  Phoebe,  how  merry  were  we, 
The  night  we  sat  under  the  juniper  tree, 
The  juniper  tree,  high-o,  high-o, 

The  juniper  tree,  high-o. 

2.  Take  this  hat  on  your  head ,  keep  your  head  warm, 

3.  And  take  a  sweet  kiss,  it  will  do  you  no  harm, 
But  a  great  deal  of  good,  I  know,  I  know," 

4.  But  a  great  deal  of  good  I  know. 

Mrs.  Calvin  Stark,  Versailles,  Ind. 


53  In  the  place  of  these  last  two  lines,  the  following  were  often  substituted: 
It  will  do  you  no  harm,  but  a  great  deal  of  good. 
And  so  take  another  while  kissing  goes  good. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


81 


b.  1.  All  join  hands  and  circle  left  around  one  girl  who  stands 
in  the  center  holding  a  hat  in  her  hand.  At  2,  she  chooses  a  part- 
ner from  those  in  the  ring,  draws  him  into  the  center,  places  the 
hat  on  his  head  and  at  3  gives  him  a  kiss.  She  then  (at  4)  joins 
the  players  in  the  ring.  Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  the  boy 
in  the  center. 

d.  Additional  stanzas  may  be  found  in  the  variants  printed  by 
Goldy  Hamilton,  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII,  p.  300  and 
Edwin  F.  Piper,  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  268. 

Pig  in  the  Parlor. 


fai  .hi.h.hjoj^ 


We've  got   a  pig  in  the  par-lor^VVe've  got  a  pig  in  the  par-lor, We've 

I        M  ~T\  fV  fc.  .   ™"-1"1-"  KJ 


got      a    pig    in  the  par  -  lor,  And     it      is      J  -  rish,  too; 


And 


J- 


^  P  p  Jl  r; 


it       is      I-  rish,too,  And     it        is       I-rish,  too. 


We've 


j.    »  I 


got       a    pig    in     the  par  -  lor,    And     it       is     I  -  rish   too. 

1.  We've  got  a  pig  in  the  parlor,51 
We've  g  t  a  pig  in  the  parlor, 
We've  got  a  pig  in  the  parlor, 
And  it  is  Irish,  too:  3  times 
We've  got  a  pig  in  the  parlor, 
And  it  is  Irish,  too. 


Refrain : — 


2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 


Oh  it's  left  hand  to  your  partner, 
The  right  hand  to  your  neighbor, 
The  left  hand  back  to  your  partner, 
And  we'll  all  promenade:     3  times 
Swing  your  left  hand  lady  round, 

And  we'll  all  promenade.55 

My  father  and  mother  we  Irish:     3  times 

And  I  was  Irish,  too:     3  times 

My  father  and  mother  were  Irish, 

And  I  was  Irish  too. 


54.  After  the  first  stanza  the  words  are: — "We've  got  a  new  pig  in  the  parlor, 
or  "We've  got  the  old  pig  in  the  parlor,"  to  agree  with  the  game. 

55.  The  refrain  has  the  same  tune  as  the  stanzas. 


82  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

:I  stole  a  peck  of  potatoes, :  3  times 
•And  they  were  Irish,  too, :  3  times 
I  stole  a  peck  of  potatoes, 
And  they  were  Irish,  too. 

:I  went  down  to  Sally's  house, :  3  times 
:Fourteen  stories  high, :  3  times 
Every  room  I  went  through, 
Was  filled  with  pumpkin  pie. 

Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  Ind. 

b.  Circle  dance.  An  odd  number  of  players  is  required.  At  1, 
all  excepting  one,  join  hands,  each  girl  at  the  right  of  her  partner, 
and  circle  left.  The  odd  player  stands  in  the  center.66 

At  2,  each  boy  turns  right,  each  girl  left.  Each  boy  takes  the 
left  hand  of  his  partner,  passes  her  by  the  left  and  at  3,  takes  the 
right  hand  of  the  next  girl  at  his  right.  He  circles  around  her, 
and  at  4  comes  back  and  takes  the  left  hand  of  his  partner.  At 
5,  he  turns  right  and  takes  position  for  promenade.  During  the 
time  of  the  changes  at  3  and  4  the  one  in  the  center  tries  to  get 
the  place  of  one  of  the  other  players.  If  he  succeeds  the  one  left 
without  a  partner  is  in  the  center  for  the  next  game,  if  he  fails 
he  must  be  in  the  center  a  second  or  third  time.  During  5, 
partners  promenade.  At  6,  each  boy  may  change  and  swing  the 
girl  behind  and  at  the  left  of  him  or  may  continue  the  promenade 
with  his  partner. 

d.  Mrs.  Ames  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  298)  prints 
a  variant,  the  tune  of  which  is  the  same  as  that  given  above,  in 
every  respect  excepting  time.  The  words  are  of  the  same  general 
character  though  not  identical. 

Mr.  Edwin  F.  Piper  (Some  Play-party  Games  of  the  Middle 
West.  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  pp.  283-4)  gives  another 
variant. 


50  When  there  are  many  players,  perhaps  a  number  over  twelve,  there  are  two 
or  three  persons  in  the  center  without  partners. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Polly,  Put  the  Kettle  On. 


5 


j 


Pol  -  ly,    put      the       ket  -tie      on,     Kettle     on,     kettle    on, 


Pol  -    ly,    put    the      ket  -  tie      on,  Andwe'll    all    have     tea. 


Polly,  put  the  kettle  on, 
Kettle  on,  kettle  on-, 
Polly,  put  the  kettle  on, 
And  we'll  all  take  tea. 

b.  c.  This  was  a  play-party  game  in  Ripley  County,    Indiana, 
thirty  years  ago,  but  the  figures  have  been  forgotten, 
d.     Miss  Mari  Ruef  Hofer,  in  "Children's  Singing  Games"  prints 
a  game  with  these  words  but  its  melody  differs  from  this. 

As  a  ballad  it  is  to  be   found   in    the    "Ideal    Home    Music 
Library,"  Vol.  X,  p.  228. 

Pop  Goes  the  Weasel. 

Mrs.  Allie  Jackson,  Versailles,  Ind. 


1' 


p  - 


It's    all     a-round  the  American  flag-,It's     all    a-round  the  ea  -  gle, 


j.     ' 


f 


That's  the  way    the    moa  -  ey   goes,       Pop    goes   the   wea  -  sel. 

It's  all  around  the  American^flag, 
'It's  all  around  the_eagle, 
That's  the  way  the  money  [goes, 
Pop  goes  the  weasel. 

A  nickle  for  a  spool  of_thread, 
A  penny  for  a  needle, 
That's  the  way  the  money  goes, 
Pop  goes  the  weasel. 

You  may  buy  the  baby  clothes, 
And  I  will  buy  the  cradle, 
That's  the  way  the  money  goes, 
Pop  goes  the  weasel. 


84  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

All  around  the  American  flag, 
Monkey  chased  the  weasel, 
That's  the  way  the  money  goes, 
Pop  goes  the  weasel. 

Round  and  round  the  market  house,  • 

Monkey  chased  the  weasel, 
Preacher  kissed  the  pedlar's  wife, 
Pop  goes  the  weasel. 

Mrs.  Frank  Brinson,  Johnson  Tp. 

Five  cents  for  calico, 
Three  cents  for  needles, 
That's  the  way  the  money  goes, 
Pop  goes  the  weasel. 

Miss  Fannie  Stewart,  Brown  Tp. 

Round  and  round  the  cobbler's  bench, 
The  monkey  chased  the  weasel, 
The  farmer  kissed  the  cobbler's  wife, 
And  pop  goes  the  weasel. 

b.  Mrs.    Gomme57    describes    the    game  as  being  very  simple 
but  wherever  we  have  known  of  it  in  the  United  States  the  dance 
figures  are  much  more  complex.     In  Louisiana  it  is  a  long-ways 
dance. 

c.  Two  versions  of  a  country  dance  of  this  name  are  given  in 
Mr.  C.  J.  Sharp's  Country  Dance  Book,  Part  1,  pp.  53-54. 

Mrs.  Gomme  Trad.  Games.  Vol.  ii,  pp.  64-65.  Two  stanzas. 
It  is  rather  singular  that  this  game  is  not  given  in  either  of  the 
articles  on  the  Missouri  play-party,  for  this  is  certainly  an  old  one. 

d.  Mrs.  Gomme  (Trad.  Games,  vol.  ii,  p.  64)  gives    this  stanza 
and  a  very  interesting  note  concerning  this  London  version. 

Up  and  down  the  City  Road ; 
In  and  out  the  Eagle; 
That's  the  way  the  money  goes, 
Pop  goes  the  weasel.         (A.  Nutt) 

Mr.  Nutt  writes,  "The  Eagle  was  (and  may  be  still)  a  well- 
known  tavern  and  dancing  saloon." 

This  is  probably  the  variant  from  which  the  American  ones 
started.  In  only  one  line  does  it  differ  essentially  from  the  first 
stanza  which  we  give.  The  "Eagle"  was  to  Americans  their 
emblem,  and  this  is  probably  the  reason  why  it  was  associated 
with  the  American  flag,  in  this  song. 

57  Trad.  Games,  vol.  II.  p.  64. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Sailor. 


85 


C.  H.  Hall 


. 


What    shall    we     do      with   the     drunk  -  en         sail   -    or? 


P 


What     shall  we       do       with    the     drunk  -   en         sail   -    or? 


atfEI  —  k 

t\        K 

v            K 

^          ^ 

—  ft  fc  — 

'-(to  *  *  Ji 

Wha 

t     shall    we      cl 

o      with    th 

e    drunk  -  e 

E  ^  J)    '  1 

n         sail    -    or? 

-  —  h  —  S 

•           Put 

him      in        a 

boat      an 

—  a  — 
i     row      hin 

i        o    -    ver. 

What  shall  we  do  with  the  drunken  sailorf 
What  shall  we  do  with  the  drunken  sailor? 
What  shall  we  do  with  the  drunken  sailor? 
Put  him  in  a  boat,  and  row  him  over. 

Prof.  C.  H.  Hall,  Franklin,  Ind. 

b.  Longways  dance  for  any  number  of  couples  above  three.  The 
same  figures  are  danced  to  this  as  to  "Weevily  Wheat"  but  the 
order  in  which  these  are  taken  is  left  to  the  leader  of  the  game. 

d.  Edwin  F.  Piper  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  277) 
prints  this  as  a  play-party  song  of  two  stanzas. 

This  tune  belongs  to  a  very  old  form  of  song,  and  is  related  to 
what  is  known  today  as  the  "round." 


86 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Sally  Walker. 


Lit  -  tie    Sal-  lyWalk-er,      a    -  sit  -  tin'    in    the    sun,      A    - 


cry  -  in'     and     a  -  weep  -    in'      for     what       she     has  done, 


J    J>  J'  J    IJ    J'  J'  J 


Rise,    Sal  -  ly    rise,  wipe  out  your  eyes,    Look  to   the  East  and 


.h  A  J1 


look     to     the  West,  And    choose  the   one  that   you     love   best. 


1 .  Little  Sally  Walker,  a-sittin'  in  the  sun, 
A-eryin'  and  a-weepin'  for  what  she  has  done. 

2.  Rise  Sally,  rise!  wipe  out  your  eyes, 

3.  Look  to  the  East  and  look  to  the  West, 

4.  And  choose  the  one  that  you  love  best. 

Often  this  marriage  formula  is  attached  to  the  game. 


Now  you're  married  I  wish  you  joy,   First    a   girl  and  then  a   boy, 


Seven  years  aft-er  son  and  daughter,  Pray  young  couple  come  kiss  together. 

b.  This  like  "London  Bridge"  is  definitely  and  exclusively  a 
children's  game.  All  the  children,  excepting  one,  join  hands  and 
form  a  circle.  One  sad  little  girl  kneels  in  the  center.  The  others 
all  circle  to  the  left  around  her.  At  2,  she  rises,  wipes  her  eyes 
and  at  3  looks  at  the  different  ones  in  the  circle.  At  4,  she  chooses 
a  boy  or  girl  to  be  her  partner.  The  game  then  begins  again. 

If  it  is  merely  a  girl's  game,  the  girl  chosen  in  the  center,  is 
Sally  Walker  for  the  next  game. 

If  the  boys  play  too,  the  last  girl  in  the  center  must  choose  also 
the  girl  who  is  to  start  the  next  game. 

If  the  marriage  formula  is  used,  the  girl  who  is  choosing,  takes 
the  right  hand  of  her  chosen 'partner  and  then  kisses  her  partner, 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  87 

c.-d.  Mrs.  Gomme  (Trad.  Games,  vol.  ii,  pp.  149-167)  gives  seven 
melodies  to  this,  and  forty-eight  variants,  yet  no  one  of  either 
the  tunes  or  the  rhymes  is  the  same  as  that  given  above.  The 
name  is  usually,  "Water,"  and  that  is  probably  the  earlier  form. 

Mrs.  Gomme.  Children's  Singing  Games,  vol.  ii,  pp.  20-21. 
The  music  and  words  of  this  resemble  the  game  in  Ripley  County 
more  than  the  other  English  variants  do. 

Mr.  Newell  prints  one  variant.  (Games  and  Songs,  p.  70) 
but  gives  no  melody  to  the  song. 

John  Hornby:     The  Joyous  Book  of  Singing  Games,  p.  23. 

Mr.  Newell  makes  only  one  comment  and  that  is,  "A  ballad 
situation  has  been  united  with  a  dance-rhyme." 

Mrs.  Gomme's  interpretation  of  it  involves  a  number  of 
questionable  points.  She  considers  the  name  to  have  been 
"Water"  in  the  earlier  form.  Further,  she  would  believe  that  this 
was  not  originally  a  surname  but  had  to  do  with  the  ceremony  of 
"sprinkling  in  a  pan."  She  says58  (Trad.  Games,  vol.  ij,  p.  174) 
"I  prefer  to  suggest  that  'water'  got  attached  as  a  surname  .by 
simple  transposition." 

She  points  out  that  the  relation  of  the  marriage  ceremony 
and  water  worship  or  the  rites  performed  with  water,  among  pre- 
Celtic  peoples  find  more  than  a  parallel  in  this  game.  (Trad. 
Games,  vol.  ii,  pp.  176-7).  The  sprinkling  or  pouring  of  water 
as  a  part  of  the  marriage  ceremony  is,  she  considers,  the  origin 
of  this.  Further  evidence  of  great  age,  she  finds  in  the  words, 
"Look  to  the  East  and  look  to  the  West,"  which  are  in  nine  var- 
iants, "Choose  for  the  best  and  choose  for  the  worst."  This  is 
thought  to  have  come  from  the  same  old  marriage  formula  which 
was  preserved  in  the  vernacular  portion  of  the  ancient  English 
marriage  service.59 

The  words,  "seven  years  after,"  are  also  believed  to  be  signifi- 
cant, for  ''a  year  and  a  day;"  and  ''seven  years"  are  the  two  periods 
for  which  the  popular  mind  regards  marriage  binding.60  Further, 
"the  popular  belief  that  a  man's  cycle  of  life  is  not  complete  until 
he  is  the  father  of  a  daughter,  who,  in  her  turn,  shall  have  a  son"61 
is  shown,  Mrs.  Gomme  thinks,  in  the  line,  "First  a  son  and  then  a 
daughter."  "The  'kissing  together'  of  the  married  couple  is  the 


58  Many  variants  have  the  words,  "Lictle  Sally  Water,  Sprinkle  in  a  pan." 

59  Palgrave.  English  Commonwealth.  Vol.  II,  p.  136. 

60  Mrs.  Gomme.  Trad.  Games.  Vol.  ii,  p.  178. 

61  Ibid. 


88 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


token  to  the  witness  of  their  mutual  consent  to  the  contract.62 
As  a  further  proof  of  the  antiquity  of  the  formula  as  an  outcome 
of  the  early  marriage  ceremony,  she  notes  the  fact  that  the  words 
of  the  marriage  formula  are  always  sung  to  the  same  tune  although 
it  is  attached  to  a  number  of  different  game-songs  whose  melodies 
have  no  connection. 

This  fact  is  also  true  of  the  marriage  formula  of  the  American 
children's  games.  The  melody  and  the  words  are  inseparable. 
There  were  in  Ripley  County  other  games  to  which  this  same  form- 
ula was  attached,  not  more  than  fifteen  years  ago,  but  I  have  been 
unable  to  get  them. 


Six  Little  Girls  A-Sliding  Went. 


Ethel  Ballman 


Six    littlegirls  a -slid-ingwent,  a-  slid-ingwent,  a-slid-ing  went, 


^->y K •  '  •  '    • 1 «j: •  •  i _ 41 1  ^ j_i 

^j 

Six  lit-tlegirls  a- slid-ingwent,  So  ear  -  ly     in  the     morn-ing.  The 


ice  was  thin,and  theybroke  in,  And  theybroke  in,  and  theybrokein.  The 


J) 


^  J>lj.   >  I 


p 


ice  was  thin,   and   they  broke  in,   The  rest   all    ran    a  -  way. 


1 .  Six63  little  girls  a-sliding  went,  A-sliding  went,  a-sliding  went, 
Six  little  girls  a-sliding  went,  So  early  in  the  morning. 

2.  The  ice  was  thin,  and  they  broke  in,  And  they  broke  in,  and  they 

broke  in. 

3.  The  ice  was  thin,  and  they  broke  in,  The  rest  all  ran  away. 

b.  Boys  stand  in  a  circle  facing  in.  Girls  join  hands  to  form  a 
circle  inside  that  of  the  boys,  but  facing  the  boys.  During  1, 
girls  circle  left.  At  2,  girls  break  line  and  each  swings  the  first 
boy  she  comes  to.  During  3,  all  get  in  position  for  the  next  game. 
Repeat  from  the  beginning,  boys  and  girls  having  exchanged 
places.  The  words  are  changed  to  correspond:  Six  little  boys 
a-sliding  went,  etc. 

62  Mrs.  Gomme,  Trad.  Games.  Vol.  U,  p.  179. 

63  The  number  is  not  necessarily  six,  but  is  determined  by  the  number  of  couples 
playing  the  game. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Skip-to-My-Lou 


89 


The 


cat's       in     the     but  -  ter-milk,      skip  -   lo   -  my  -Lou, 


f 


's    in  the  but-ter-milk,  skip-  to-my-Lou,     Cat's  in  the  but-ter-milk, 


Ji 


j  :\  j. 


skip  -  to-  my -Lou,        Skip  -  to  -  my -Lou,    my       dar 

:The  cat's  in  the  buttermilk,  skip-to  -my- Lou :  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

rl'll  get  another  one,  skip-to-my-Lou :  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:Little  red  wagon  painted  blue:  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:Flies  in  the  biscuit,  two  by  two:  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:Mule's  in  the  cellar,  kicking  up  through, :  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:Chickens  in  the  hay-stack,  shoo,  shoo,  shoo, :  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:If  I  can't  get  her  back  another  one64  '11  do, :  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:Hurry  up  slow  poke,  do  oh  do, :  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:My  wife  wears  number  'leven  shoes:  3  times 
Skip-to  my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:Flies  in  the  cream  jar,  shoo,  shoo,  shoo :  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:I'll  get  her  back,  in  spite  of  you, :  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:When  I  go  courting,  I  take  two, :  3  times 
Skip  to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:Gone  again,  what  shall  I  do?:  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:I'll  get  another  one  sweeter  than  you :  3  times 
Skip-to-my-Lou,  my  darling. 

:Rabbit's  in  the  bean  patch,  two  by  two —    — etc. 


64  The  name  of  the  girl  chosen  may  be  substituted. 


90  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Any  order  in  the  singing  of  these  stanzas  may  be  taken.  The 
skipper  selects  and  quite  as  often  invents  the  words  to  suit  the 
occasion.  This,  of  all  the  games,  is  the  most  indicative  of.  the 
country  life  and  of  the  things  which  are  considered  comic.  Any 
number  of  other  stanzas  are  sung  but  these  are  the  most  common 
ones.  This  game  illustrates  well  the  processes  of  invention, 
selection  and  continuity  of  the  communal  composition  theory  of 
ballad  origins.  (C.  J.  Sharp,  English  Folk  Song.  Chap.  Ill, 
Evolution.) 

b.  All  stand  around  in  a  circle,  boys  at  the  left  of  their  partners. 
One  boy  skips  around,  to  the  right  inside  the  ring;  he  slyly  takes 
the  arm  of  one  girl  whose  partner  is  not  watching  and  skips  on 
around  the  circle  with  her.  Her  partner  then  skips  after  them 
singing  perhaps,  "I'll  get  her  back  in  spite  of  you."  If  he  can 
catch  the  couple  before  they  get  back  to  her  former  position,  he 
gets  back  his  partner.65  If  he  does  not  overtake  her,  he  must  skip 
around  the  circle  and  continue  as  the  former  boy  has  done.  Much 
of  the  singing  is  in  character  and  each  boy  tries  to  get  words  that 
will  suit  the  situation. 

d.  Variants.  Wedgwood:  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXV,  p.  270. 
The  music  is  nearly  the  same,  but  has  not  so  much  exact 
repetition  of  phrase. 

Mrs.  Ames  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  302)  gives  lines 
which  are  the  same,  but  prints  no  game  of  this  name. 

Miss  Hofer  (Popular  Folk  Games,  p.  12)  gives  a  very  similar 
song  "Skip-to-ma-Lou,  ma  children  dear,"  whose  melody  with  the 
exception  of  the  second  phrase  is  identical  with  this.  She  speaks 
of  it  as  being  played  in  the  southern  states. 

Mr.  C.  E.  Perrow  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVI,  p.  136) 
gives  this  interesting  note,  "  'Lou',  a  common  term  for  'sweet- 
heart' in  eastern  Tennessee." 


65  The  first  must  then  continue  his  search  for  a  partner,  but  this  Is  unusual. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  91 

Star  Promenade. 

Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  Ind. 


Six      ladies  to    the    center  with   the      right  hand  crossed,  Be 


care  -  ful      that    you     don't  get     lost.     Back     to     the    left     and 


Jl  J|  J 


don't     be     a-fraid,    Pass  your  partner    in    the  Star  Prom-e -nade. 

1 .  Six  ladies  to  the  center  with  the  right  hands  crossed, 
Be  a  careful  that  you  don't  get  lost. 

2.  Back  to  the  left  and  don't  be  afraid, 

3.  Pass  your  partner  with  the  Star  Promenade. 

My  old  girl  went  back  on  me, 

Just  because  I  went  to  sea, 
| My  old  girl  went  away  last  fall, 
[Break  and  swing  and  promenade  all. 

Circle  dance  for  six  couples. 

Girls  form  a  circle.  Each  girl  crosses  her  right  hand  with  the 
girl  opposite  her  to  form  a  star.  The  boys  join  hands  forming  a 
circle  around  that  of  the  girls,  and  each  boy  behind  his  partner. 

During  1,  the  girls,  in  star  position,  circle  left  to  position  in 
front  of  partner.  At  2,  girls  form  star  with  left  hands  and  circle 
right  and  again  return  to  original  position  in  front  of  partner. 

At  3,  each  girl  gives  her  right  hand  to  her  partner,  passes  by 
his  right  and  on  to  the  boy  on  her  partner's  right  with  whom 
she  promenades  during  3.  At  4,  they  drop  hands,  then  take 
position  and  swing  once,  then  promenade. 

Repeat  all  from  the  beginning  with  this  new  partner. 

Continue  repeating  until  each  girl  has  had  for  partner  every 
one  of  the  boys,  i.  e.,  the  figure  is  gone  through  six  times. 

The  entire  performance  is  then  repeated  from  the  beginning, 
the  boys  and  girls  having  exchanged  places. 

The  words  during  the  second  performance  are  changed  to  agree, 
"Six  boys  (or  gents) in  the  center  with  the  right  hand  crossed, "etc., 
and  stanza  two  becomes : 


92  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

My  old  beau  went  back  on  me, 
Just  because  I  went  to  sea. 
My  old  beau  went  away  last  fall, 
Break  and  swing  and  promenade  all. 

c.     Miss  Hamilton  gives  the  words  to  a  Missouri  play-party  game 
which  she  calls  "Gents  to  the  Center."     The  game  is  probably 
similar   to   this.     (Jour.    Am.    Folk-lore,    vol.    XXVII,    p.    300.) 
This  seems  to  be  of  American  origin. 

There  Goes  Topsy  Through  the  Window. 

Mrs.  Leslie  Beall,  Versailles,  Ind. 


t  J.  J.  J.JH 


There  goesTop-sy  thro'  the  window,Thro'  the  window,thro'  the  window, 


There  goes  Top-sy     thro'    the  win-dow,  Down  in  Al  -    a-    bam-a. 

1  .     There  goes  Topsy  through  the  window, 

Through  the  window,  through  the  window, 
There  goes  Topsy  through  the  window, 
Down  in  Alabama. 

2  Refrain  — 

All  promenade  with  the  hand  on  the  shoulder, 
Hand  on  the  shoulder,  hand  on  the  shoulder, 
All  promenade  with  the  hand  on  the  shoulder, 
Down  in  Alabama. 

3.  There  goes  Sambo  through  the  window,  etc. 

4.  Sambo  and  Topsy  through  the  window,  etc. 

b.  Boys  form  in  straight  line.  Girls  form  straight  line  about 
four  steps  from  that  of  the  boys,  in  such  a  way  that  each  girl 
is  facing  her  partner.  During  1,  the  top  girl  walks  down  through 
the  center,  casts  off  to  the  left,  makes  a  complete  circuit  of  the 
line  of  girls,  and  returns  to  position.  During  3,  the  top  boy  walks 
down  through  the  center,  casts  off  to  the  right,  makes  a  complete 
circuit  of  the  line  of  boys,  and  returns  to  position.  During  4,  the 
top  couple  promenade  down  through  the  center,  cast  off,  either 
to  the  left  or  right,  making  a  complete  circuit  of  one  of  the  lines, 
and  return  to  position. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  93 

At  2,  the  bottom  couple  meet  between  the  lines  and  take  this 
position.  The  girl  places  her  right  hand  on  her  left  shoulder.  Her 
partner,  behind  her,  catches  her  right  hand  with  his  left,  and 
with  his  right  holds  her  left  hand  loosely  at  their  right  side.  They 
cast  off  to  the  right  and  walk  up  to  position  at  the  top  of  their 
respective  lines. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  this  new  couple  at  the  top 
and  the  different  couple  at  the  bottom  of  the  lines. 

There  Was  An  Old  Woman  in  Ireland. 


TJ1    ;»    J'    JJ     J'    J 

There      was     an  old    woman       in         Ire     -      land,       In 

JiJ  J.    t 


Ire  land  she  did  dwell,     She  lovedherold  man  dear  -  ly,  Bui  an  - 


i  j,  ji  j,    ,      jji 


oth  -  er  twice  as  well.    Oh     my  dear-est  dear,  what    ails     me, 


j 


Thinks  says    I   what    ails     me?    And  what's  the  mat  -fer      now? 


There  was  an  old  woman  in  Ireland, 
In  Ireland  she  did  dwell. 
She  loved  her  old  man  dearly, 
But  another  twice  as  well. 

Refrain — 

Oh  my  dearest  dear,  what  ails  me? 
Thinks  says  I  what  ails  me? 
And  what's  the  matter  now? 

The  old  woman  being  good  natured, 

For  fear  that  he  could  swim, 

She  took  a  great  long  pole 

And  she  pushed  him  headlong  in. 

Only  the  refrain  of  this  ballad  belongs  to  the  play-party. 
Professor  A.  H.  Tolman  in  the  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIX, 
pp.  179-180,  prints  an  interesting  ballad  without  refrain  entitled, 


94  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

"The  Old  Woman  of  Slapsadam,"  to  which  the  one  given  above 
is  doubtless  related.  I  have  also  a  ballad  of  this  same  name  which 
contains  eight  stanzas.  It  has  a  syllable  refrain  and  an  entirely 
different  tune.  Professor  Tolman  cites  two  variants,  one  con- 
tributed to  Child  by  William  Walker  of  Aberdeen  in  the  Child 
MSS.  (Harvard  College  Library,  vol.  ii,  p.  216  "The  Wife  of 
Kelso)"  another  Scottish  copy  given  by  Gavin  Grieg  xii  "The 
Wily  Auld  Carle." 

THUS  THE  FARMER  Sows  His  SEED. 

1 .  Thus  the  farmer  sows  his  seed, 
And  takes  his  ease, 

2.  Stamps  his  foot  and  3  claps  his  hands, 

4.  And  turns  clear  round  again. 

5.  Come  my  love  and  go  with  me, 
And  I  will  take  good  care  of  thee, 

6.  I  am  too  young,  I  am  not  fit, 

I  cannot  leave  my  mamma  yet. 

7.  You're  old  enough,  you  are  just  right. 

I  asked  your  mamma  last  Saturday  night. 

Miss  Rena  Bushing,  Johnson  Tp. 

b.  All  join  hands  to  form  a  circle,  each  girl  being  at  the  right  of 
her  partner  during  1.  At  2,  each  stamps  his  right  foot  and  at  3, 
each  claps  his  hands.  At  4,  each  makes  a  complete  turn  to  the 
right.  At  5,  partners  promenade.  During  6,  the  girls  pass  their 
partners  by  the  left,  then  join  hands  to  make  a  circle  inside  that 
of  the  boys,  and  circle  left.  At  7,  each  girl  turns  right,  takes  the 
right  hand  of  her  partner,  passes  him  by  the  right,  and  skips  on 
to  the  right  of  the  boy  at  her  partner's  right,  with  whom  she 
promenades. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning  with  this  new  partner.  Continue 
repeating  until  each  girl  has  had  for  partner  every  one  of  the  boys 
and  is  back  with  her  original  partner. 

c.-d.     Hofer.  Children's  Singing  Games,  p.  22,  stanza  1. 

Hamilton.  Play-party  in  N.  E.  Mo.,  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore, 
vol.  XXVII,  p.  299,  stanza  2;  Complaint  of  Scotland,  Early  Eng. 
Text  Soc. ;  Newell,  Games  and  Songs,  pp.  81-83,  stanza  1 ;  Gomme, 
Trad.  Games,  vol.  ii,  pp.  1-16,  stanza  1,  18  variants;  Hofer,  Popu- 
lar Folk-Games,  31;  Edwin  F.- Piper,  Some  Play-Party  Games  of 
the  Middle  West.  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVIII,  p.  273. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  95 

This  game  in  almost  every  other  version  begins  with  the  lines, 

"Oats,  pease,  beans  and  barley  grows, 
How,  you,  nor  I,  nor  nobody  knows." 

and  is  usually  called  by  this  first  line. 

The  game  gives  many  evidences  of  age.66  It  is  a  favorite 
in  France,  Provence,  Spain,  Italy,  Sicily,  Germany,  Sweden  and 
Great  Britain67  as  well  as  in  the  United  States.68  Mr.  Newell 
is  inclined  to  believe  that  it  is  of  Romance  origin.  But  since 
variants  VII,  VIII  and  IX69  contain  the  first  four  lines  which 
distinguish  the  American  game,  and  most  of  the  other  variants 
are  very  similar  we  should  conclude  that,  like  so  many  of  our 
games,  this  too  came  to  us  from  England. 

His  next  conjecture  seems  well  founded.  He  says  (Games  and 
Songs,  p.  81)  "The  lines  of  the  French  refrain  (Oats,  oats,  oats, 
May  the  Good  God  Prosper  You)  and  the  general  form  of  the 
dance  suggest  that  the  song  may  probably  have  had  (perhaps  in 
remote  classic  time)  a  religious  and  symbolic  meaning,  and  form- 
ed part  of  rustic  festivities  designed  to  promote  the  fertility  of  the 
fields,  an  object  which  undoubtedly  formed  the  original  purpose 
of  the  May  festival."  Mrs.  Gomme  is  inclined  to  connect  the  line 
"Waiting  for  a  partner"  with  the  mating  of  the  young  people, 
which  was  so  much  a  feature  of  harvest  festivals.70 

Mr.  Newell  says  that  this  "is  properly  a  dance  rather  of  young 
people  than  of  children."71  The  statement  was  made  in  1883. 
How  different  we  find  the  game.  The  first  two  lines  of  the  English 
game-song  are  dropped  and  are  never  used  in  the  play-party  game 
of  Ripley  County.  Those  lines  were  not  dramatic,  neither  were 
they  particularly  suited  to  a  dance.  The  four  lines  which  met  these 
conditions  were  retained  with  absolutely  no  change.  The  stanza 


66  Mr.  Newell  (Games  and  Songs,  pp.  33-6)  quotes  a  poem  of  Froissart's  in  which 
he  speaks  of  playing  Oats  (evidently  the  same  as  this).     As  he  was  born  in  1337,  the 
game  is  certainly  nearly  five  hundred  years  old  and  is  probably  much  more  ancient 
than  that. 

67  Mrs.  Gomme.  Trad.  Games,  vol.  ii,  p.  10. 

68  Newell.  Games  and  Songs,  p.  80 

ti9  Mrs.  Gomme.  Trad.  Games,  vol.  ii,  p.  10. 

70  Ibid,  p.  13. 

71  Newell.     Games  and  Songs,  p.  81. 


96 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


whose  theme  was,  "Waiting  for  a  partner"72  is  significantly 
replaced  by  the  dialogue  of  courtship  which  gives  opportunity  for 
a  coquettish  dance.  Thus,  though  the  first  four  lines  of  this  game 
have  originated  in  England,  the  melody  and  dance,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  words  are  distinctly  American. 


Tideo. 


Mrs.  Leslie  Beall. 


' 


TT^ 

,  1 1  -  de  -  o , 


Pass  one  win-dow,  Ti  -de  -  o,   Pass  two  windows 


i  J)J' 


Pass  three  windows,  Ti  -de  -  o,     Jin-gle  at    thewin-dows,Ti-de  -o, 


=F=fi 

^ 

jja 

r^^ 

r->>    h     h    1 

*= 

ij1 

'  Jl  J     J^    Ij)  j  J      ii 

Ti-de-o,       Ti-de-o,      Jin-gle    at    the  win-dows,  Ti- de  -  o. 

1 .  Pass  one  window,  Tideo,  Pass  two  windows,  Tideo, 
Pass  three  windows,  Tideo,  Jingle  at  the  windows,  Tideo. 

2.  Tideo,  Tideo,  Jingle  at  the  windows,  Tideo. 

3.  I  asked  that  girl  to  be  my  wife,  She  said,  "No,  not  on  your  life." 

I  asked  her  mother  and  she  said,  "No."    Jingle  at  the  windows, 
Tideo. 

4.  Tideo,  Tideo,  Jingle  at  the  windows,  Tideo. 

b.  At  1,  all  form  a  single  circle,  with  each  boy  in  front  of  his 
partner.  Each  player  has  his  left  hand  on  the  right  shoulder 
of  the  person  in  front  of  him.  Circle  left.  At  2,  each  boy  makes 
a  half  tur.n  to  the  right  and  swings  his  partner. 

At  3,  each  girl  steps  in  front  of  her  partner  and  all  form  a  single 
circle  again  in  position  as  1. 

At  4,  each  boy  turns  and  swings  the  girl  behind  him  in  the 
circle. 


72  In  Traditional  Games,  vol.  ii,  p.  13,  Mrs.  Gomme  says,  "It  is  abundantly 
clear  from  the  more  perfect  game-rhymes  that  the  waiting  for  a  partner  is  an  episode  in 
the  harvest  custom,  as  if,  when  the  outdoor  business  of  the  season  was  finished  the 
domestic  element  becomes  the  next  important  transaction  in  the  year's  proceedings." 
In  vol.  ii,  p.  510,  she  continues,  "A  ceremonial  of  this  kind  would  probably  take  place 
each  spring,  and  the  stamping  on  the  ground  would  be,  as  in  'Oats  and  Beans  and 
Barley,'  a  part  of  the  ceremony  to  arouse  the  earth  spirit  to  the  necessity  of  his  care  for 
the  trees  under  his  charge." 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  97 

Begin  the  song  again  and  continue  the  game  until  each  girl 
has  been  partner  to  every  boy  and  returns  to  her  original  partner, 
c.  The  first  stanza  of  a  variant  which  Mrs.  Ames  calls  "Pass 
One  Window  Toddy-o"  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  311), 
is  the  same  as  that  given  above,  but  the  tune  is  different. 

Miss  Goldy  Hamilton  (Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII, 
p.  294)  prints  the  words  of  stanza  1. 


UNCLE  JOHNIE'S  SICK  A-BED. 
Tune:  Yankee  Doodle. 

Uncle  Johnie's  sick  a-bed, 

What  shall  we  send  him? 

Three  good  wishes,  three  good  kisses, 

And  a  slice  of  ginger  bread. 

What  shall  we  send  it  in? 
In  a  piece  of  paper, 
Paper  is  not  fine  enough, 
But  in  a  golden  saucer. 

Who  shall  we  send  it  by? 
By  the  governor's  daughter. 
Take  her  by  the  lily  white  hand. 
And  lead  her  cross  the  water. 

— —  so  they  say 


Goes  a-courtin'  night  and  day, 

With  a  sword  by  his  side, 

And  takes  Miss for  his  bride." 


Mrs.  Susan  Ballman,  Versailles,  Ind. 


b.     This  was  a  "kissing  game"  at  the  play-parties  thirty  years 
ago.     The  figures  have  been  forgotten. 


73  The  names  of  the  boy  and  girl  are  supplied  in  the  blank  spaces. 


98  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

Wait  for  the  Wagon. 


Mrs.  Losli  •  Hcall. 


Will  you  come  with  me,my  Phyllis^dearjToyon  blue  mountain  freeWhere  the 

^  J  ^  j,  ^ij,  j.V  j>  ij)  .M  JMJ  * 

blos-soms  smell  the  sweet-est,       Come  rove    a -long  with     me. 


.M 


It's        ev-'ry  sun-ny  morning,When      I     am  by  your  side,    Well 


J' 


jump  in      to      the  wag-on,         And      all         take    a       ride. 

J 


Wait       for     the    wag  -on,  Wait     for     the     wag  -on, 

Ji  J'   J'  IJ    J'   J'   I"!    I    I 


Wait       for      the     wag  -  on,  And  we'll     all      take     a       ride. 

1.     Will  you  come  with  me,  my  Phyllis,  dear, 

To  yon  blue  mountains  free, 

Where  the  blossoms  smell  the  sweetest 
Boys  Come  rove  along  with  me? 

sing.       2.     It's  every  sunny  morning, 

When  I  am  by  your  side, 

We'll  jump  into  the  wagon 

And  all  take  a  ride. 

Refrain — 

All          3.     Wait  for  the  wagon,  Wait  for  the  wagon, 
sing.  Wait  for  the  wagon,  4  And  we'll  all  take  a  ride. 

Boys  Where  the  river  runs  like  silver 

sing.  And  the  birds  they  sing  so  sweet, 

I  have  a  cabin,  Phyllis 

And  something  good  to  eat. 

Come  listen  to  my  story; 

It  will  delight  your  heart. 

So  jump  into  the  wagon 

And  off  we  will  start. 


THE  PLAY-PABTY  IN  INDIANA.  99 

Refrain — 

Boys  Do  you  believe,  my  Phyllis  dear, 

sing.  Old  Mike  with  all  his  wealth 

Can  make  you  half  as  happy 

As  I  with  youth  and  health? 

We'll  have  a  little  farm, 

A  horse,  a  pig,  a  cow, 

And  you  will  mind  the  dairy, 

While  I  guide  the  plough. 

b.     For  any  even  number  of  players  above  seven. 

The  players  stand  in  one  long  line,  each  girl  behind  her  partner. 
At  1,  each  boy  makes  a  half  turn  left  and  while  facing  his  partner 
sings  the  first  four  lines.  At  2,  each  boy  steps  to  the  left  of  his 
partner,  they  turn  left  and  all  promenade  in  line,  tracing  a  rect- 
angle by  means  of  four  sharp  turns  to  the  left,  and  all  return  to 
the  position  held  at  the  beginning  of  the  promenade. 

During  3,  each  boy  swings  his  partner  and  at  4,  all  return  to 
their  original  positions  in  preparation  for  stanza  2. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning,  to  the  singing  of  stanza  2  and  3. 


100 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 
Walk  Along  John. 


Mrs.  A.  T.  Beckett,  Versailles,  Incl. 


'j  J' 


J 


[ 


Walk     a -long  John, the     fif-er'sson,    Aint  you  mighty  glad    your 


day's  work's  done?  Walk     a    -  long   John,    (he       fif  -    er's     son, 


jtij, 


ijj,i 


Aint  you  mighty  glad  your  day's  work's  done?       Oh  'twill  nev-er   do    to 


J'   J|   J 


i 


give     it        up,       old     Un-cle   Ben,     It  will     nev  -  er      do        to 


4  Jiji 


give  it      up       so 


Oh, 'twill  nev- er     do     to     give  it      up, 


old    Un-cle  Ben, It  will  nev-er     do     to     give  it      up        so. 


1 .     Walk  along  John,  the  fif  er's  son, 

Aint  you  mighty  glad  your  day's  work's  done? 

Walk  along  John,  the  fifer's  son, 

Aint  you  mighty  glad  your  day's  work's  done? 


Refrain — 


O  'twill  never  do  to  give  it  up,  Old  Uncle  Ben,74 
It  will  never  do  to  give  it  up  so, 
O  'twill  never  do  to  give  it  up,  Old  Uncle  Ben, 
,  It  will  never  do  to  give  it  up  so. 

2.     Old  Mr.  Coon,  you  come  too  soon, 

The  girls  won't  be  ready  till  tomorrow  afternoon, 

Old  Mr.  Coon,  you  come  too  soon, 

The  girls  won't  be  ready  till  tomorrow  afternoon. 


74  As  this  song  was  given  me  it  had  a  change  of  key  before  the  refrain  as  indicated 
above,  but  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  original  kept  the  same  key  throughout.  The 
refrain  would  then  be — (See  music  at  bottom  of  next  page.] 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


101 


b.  Circle  game  for  children.  All  march  in  single  file,  tracing 
a  large  circle^  during  the  singing  of  the  stanzas.  The  refrain  is 
sung  after  each  stanza,  and,  to  this  music,  the  children  dance  a  jig 
inside  the  circle  which  they  have  traced. 

Way  Down  in  the  Paw  Paw  Patch. 

Mrs.  Leslie  Seal,  Versailles,  Ind. 


Where,  oh  where  is  pretty  little _?  pretty  little ?  pretty  little ? 


Where,  oh  where  is  pretty  little  _  ?  Way  down  in  the  pawpaw  patch. 

Where  oh  where  is  pretty  little  —          —  ? 
Pretty  little  —         —  ,  pretty  little  —         —  ? 


Where  oh  where  is  pretty  little  —          —  ? 
Way  down  in  the  paw  paw  patch. 

By  and  by  we'll  go  and  meet  her, 
Go  and  meet  her,  go  and  meet  her, 
By  and  by  we'll  go  and  meet  her, 
Way  down  in  the  paw  paw  patch. 

Won't  that  be  a  happy  meeting, 
Happy  meeting,  happy  meeting? 
Won't  that  be  a  happy  meeting, 
Way  down  in  the  paw  paw  patch? 

Miss  Rena  Bushing,  Johnson  Tp. 

On,  'twill  nev  -  er      do      to       give    it        up,       old    Un-cle   Ben, 


If     will    nev  -  er     do      to       give    it       up  soi^r — ' 


On     'twill  nev-  er     do      to       give     it       up,        old    Un-cle  Ben 


fe 

Hei 

i  ji  ji  ji=i 

j  j  j  i 

^p 

i  j  1  1 

It    will    nev  -  er      do      to       give    it       up 


so:- 


102  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

b.     It  is  obvious  that  the  dance  directions  for  this  cannot  be 
related  with  the  words  or  with  the  music.    The  length  of  the  song 
will  be  determined  by  the  number  of  players  and  this  may  be 
six  or  any  even  number  above  six. 
Longways  dance. 

1.  All  form  in  two  lines,  boys  in  one,  girls  in  the  other  and  part- 
ners facing,  with  a  space  of  six  steps  between  them.     The  first 
couple  join  and  lead  down  the  middle.     They  have  promenade 
position  but  the  walking  step  is  generally  used.     At  the  bottom 
they  swing  and  lead  back  again  to  position. 

2.  The  first  boy  and  girl  simultaneously  cast  off  and  each  is 
followed  by  his  or  her  line.     Partners  meet  at  the  bottom  and 
promenade  in  line  up  through  the  middle  and  resume  position. 

3.  The  first  couple  advance  and  join  hands  above  their  heads  to 
form  an  arch.     The  bottom  couple  followed  by  the  couple  next  to 
them  and  so  forth,  promenade  up  through  the  center,  then  under 
the  arch  and  cast  off.     Couple  2  passes  through  the  arch  last 
and  instead  of  casting  off,  they  form  the  arch.  Couple  1  then  passes 
under  and  casts  off.  Repeat  the  figure  with  couples  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  ... 
respectively  forming  the  arch.     After  the  last  couple  has  made  the 
arch  all  are  in  the  original  order  and  promenade  back  to  their 
original  places. 

Weevily  Wheat. 


Newton  Jackson. 

•<frk 

tl  JIN1  W  J';i  J'  ^'  ^  Jl 

^    ..^    J'  h-Z- 

O  Char-ley  he's  a  nice  young  man,O  Char-lie  he's    a   dan  -  dy, 


tr      i    p          J 


Char-ley  hugs  and  kisses  the  girls,  And  feeds  them  all  on   can  -  dy. 
In  an  older  form  the  last  phrase  is: 

And  feeds  them  all   on   can-   dy. 

Charley,  he's  a  nice  young  man, 
Charley,  he's  a  dandy. 
Charley  hugs  and  kisses  the  girls, 
And  feeds  them  all  on  candy. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  103 

Come  down  this  way  with  your  weevily  wheat, 
Come  down  this  way  with  your  barley, 
Come  down  this  way  with  your  weevily  wheat, 
To  bake  a  cake  for  Charley. 

Miss  Rena  Bushing,  Johnson  Tp. 

1 .  It's  step  her  to  your  weevily  wheat, 
It's  step  her  to  your  barley, 

It's  step  her  to  your  weevily  wheat, 
To  bake  a  cake  for  Charley. 

Refrain— 

O  Charley,  he's  a  fine  young  man, 

0  Charley,  he's  a  dandy, 

He  loves  to  hug  and  kiss  the  girls, 
And  feed  'em  on  good  candy. 

The  higher  up  the  cherry  tree, 
The  riper  grow  the  cherries, 
The  more  you  hug  and  kiss  the  girls, 
The  sooner  they  will  marry. 

2.  It's  left  hand  round  your  weevily  wheat,  etc.  after  the  pattern 

of  stanza  1.     The  refrain  follows  each  stanza. 

3.  It's  left  hand  round  your  weevily  wheat,  etc. 

4.  It's  both  hands  round  your  weevily  wheat,  etc. 

5.  Come  down  this  way  with  your  weevily  wheat,  etc. 

6.  It's  swing  oh  swing  your  weevily  wheat,  etc. 

Mrs.  Frank  Brinson,  Johnson  Tp. 

Miss  Fannie  Stewart  (Shelby  Tp.)  gives  a  number  of  additional  stanzas, 
two  of  which  are  of  especial  importance. 

Over  the  river  to  water  the  sheep, 
To  measure  up  the  barley, 
Over  the  river  to  water  the  sheep, 
To  bake  a  cake  for  Charley. 

My  pretty  little  pink,  I  suppose  you  think, 

1  care  but  little  about  you, 

But  I'll  let  you  know  before  you  go 
I  cannot  do  without  you. 

Scorn  one,  round  your  weevily  wheat, 
Scorn  one,  round  your  barley, 
Scorn  one,  round  your  weevily  wheat, 
To  bake  a  cake  for  Charley. 


104  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

The  following  stanza  seems  to  have  an  historical  interest. 

It's  over  the  river  to  feed  the  sheep, 
It's  over  the  river  to  Charley, 
It's  over  the  river  to  feed  my  sheep, 
And  measure  up  the  barley.76 

Mrs.  Aliie  Jackson,  Versailles. 

b.     Longways  dance  for  an  even  number  of  players  preferably 
six  couples. 

The  player  stand  in  two  lines,  the  boys  facing  the  girls  and 
partners  opposite  each  other. 

First — The  boy  at  the  top  and  the  girl  at  the  bottom  of  the 
dance  advance  to  the  center,  the  boy  bows,  the  girl  curtesies  and 
each  dances  backwards  to  position. 

Second — The  same  couple  advance  to  center,  cross  right  hands 
turn  around  to  the  left  and  retire  as  in  former  figure. 

Third — The  same  figure  is  repeated  with  the  left  hand,  and 
turning  around  to  the  right. 

Fourth — Repeat  the  third  figure  with  both  left  and  right  hands 
crossed,  circling  to  the  right. 

Fifth — The  same  couple  advance  to  the  center,  dance  around 
each  other  (i.  e.,  first  face,  then  left  shoulders  almost  together, 
next  backs  turned  to  each  other,  then  right  shoulders  almost  to- 
gether and  back  to  facing  position)  and  retire. 

Sixth — The  same  couple  advance  to  the  center  and  swing 
turning  to  the  right.  Each  of  the  two  then  swings  his  (and  her) 
partner. 

Seventh — The  same  couple  again  meet  in  the  center,  and  each 
then  swings  the  person  at  the  left  of  his  (or  her)  partner. 

*  Repeat  this  last  figure  until  the  first  couple  have  swung  every 
person  in  the  line.  This  couple  then  swings  in  the  center  and 
retires  to  position. 

The  couple  at  the  top  promenade  down  the  center  and  take 
position  at  the  bottom  of  their  respective  lines. 

Repeat  from  the  beginning,  the  boy  who  is  now  at  the  head  of 
his  line,  advancing  to  meet  the  girl  from  the  foot  of  her  line. 


75  This  is  very  nearly  the  same  as  the  "Roger  de  Coverly"  country  dance  as  it  is 
described  by  Playford  in  the  "Dancing  Master"  of  1608.  "Four  bars"  in  his  description 
coincide  with  four  measures,  or  two  lines  of  this.  If  the  line  is  so  long  as  to  make  this 
impossible,  the  full  four  lines  (i.  e.  eight  bars)  may  be  taken  for  the  figure.  The  omis- 
sion of  the  "arch"  and  the  introduction  of  the  "swing"  are,  perhaps  somewha.t  character- 
istic of  the  American  play-oartv. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  105 

Continue  repeating  until  all  the  players  are  in  their  original 
positions. 

c.-d.  Frances  Robinson,  Folk  Music,  Cur.  Lit.,  vol.  XXX, 
pp.  350-51;  Miss  E.  B.  Miles,  Some  Real  Amer.  Music,  Harper's 
Mag.,  vol.  CVIII,  pp.  118-23;  Miss  M.  R.  Hofer,  Children's 
Singing  Games,  p.  38.  Scotch  weaving  game  whose  dance  is 
analagous;  Mrs.  Ames,  Mo.  Play-Party,  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore, 
vol.  XXIV,  p.  302;  Miss  Hamilton,  Play-Party  in  Mo.,  Jour.; 
Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII,  p.  290;  Prof.  A.  B.  Johnson:  Kentucky 
Mountain  Songs,  Georgetonian,  Mar.  1910,  p.  8. 

The  stanza  which  Miss  Agnes  Taylor  heard  in  Hearne  (central 
Texas)  is  proof  of  the  bad  repute  of  this  game,  which  was  played 
like  the  old  Virginian  Reel. 

Take  a  lady  by  her  hand, 

Lead  her  like  a  pigeon, 

Make  her  dance  the  weevily  wheat, 

She  loses  her  religion. 

As  to  origins,  there  can  be  little  doubt  of  the  source  of  the 
dance.  It  is  the  Virginia  Reel,  figure  for  figure.  To  trace  it 
further  would  involve  doubtful  points.  "It  is,"  Mr.  Newell  says, 
"an  imitation  of  weaving.  The  first  movements  represent  the 
shooting  of  the  shuttle  from  side  to  side,  and  the  passage  of  the 
woof  over  and  under  the  threads  of  the  warp;  the  last  movements 
indicate  the  tightening  of  the  threads,  and  bringing  together  of  the 
cloth."76 

Miss  Hofer77  indicates  the  probable  relation  of  this  dance 
to  the  Scotch  "Weaving  Game."  The  latter  is  of  very  ancient 
origin  and  has  "incidentally  become  embodied  in  the  Virginia 
Reel  and  many  other  dances  in  which  weaving  figures  are  used." 

Our  opinion  concerning  the  source  of  the  words  is  necessarily 
more  tentative.  Miss  Miles  says:78  "It  is  not  improbable  that 
that  the  'Charley'  of  these  songs  is  the  Prince  Charlie  of  Jacobite 
ballads.  'O'er  the  river,  Charley'  may  or  may  not  be  an  echo  of 
'Over  the  Waters  to  Charlie'  for  a  large  proportion  of  the  mountain 
people  are  descended  from  Scotch  Highlanders  who  left  their 


76  Games  and  Songs,  p.  80. 

77  Children's  Singing  Games,  p.  38. 

78  Harper's  Mag.,  vol.  109,  p.  121. 


106  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

homes  on  account  of  the  persecutions  which  harassed  them  during 
Prince  Charlie's  time  and  began  life  anew  in  the  wilderness  of  the 
Alleghenies."79 

It  seems  probable  that  the  children's  game  described  by  Mr. 
Newell  (Games  and  Songs,  p.  171)  under  the  title  "Charley  over 
the  Water"  is  a  degraded  form  of  the  game  which  was,  or  which 
developed  into  our  "Weevily  Wheat." 

TRACES    OF    ENGLISH    INFLUENCE    IN    PLAY-PARTY    MELODIES. 

The  peculiarity  of  the  second  tune  to  "Weevily  Wheat"  calls 
for  a  brief  study  of  the  music  of  play-party  songs,  in  general. 
I  may  say,  at  the  outset,  that  after  a  rather  extensive  search  in 
the  folk-music  of  England,  I  have  found  that  the  tunes  of  the  play- 
party  songs  have  been  so  decidedly  changed  from  their  originals 
or  the  originals  have  in  the  meantime  been  so  modified  that  the 
relation  can  seldom  be  detected.  Of  course,  in  "Round  the 
Mulberry  Bush"  and  "Itiskit"  we  have  practically  the  same  tunes 
as  those  which  the  English  children  sing,  and  the  same  is  true  of 
"King  William  was  King  James'  Son"  as  the  Misses  Fuller  sing  it. 
There  is  also  a  similarity  in  the  English  and  the  American  tunes 
to  "London  Bridge,"  "Sally  Walker"  and  "The  Jolly  Miller," 
close  enough  to  establish  their  connection.  It  is  doubtless  true 
that  a  large  majority  of  the  folk-tunes  to  the  children's  and  young 
people's  games  in  Indiana  are  of  American  origin  or  have  become 
virtually  so  by  the  long  process  of  re-composition  by  the  singers. 

Mr.  Sharp  in  his  scholarly  book,  "English  Folk-Song,  Some 
Conclusions,"  summarizes  the  results  of  his  findings  and  these 
may  well  be  noted  in  this  study.  We  must  remember  that  the 


79  Gummere  (Scottish  Songs,  vol.  ii,  p.  399)  gives  an  old  Jacobite  song,  "Over 
the  Water  to  Charlie,"  whose  first  stanza  bears  a  rather  close  resemblance  to  that  of 
the  play-party  game  given  by  Mrs.  Jackson. 

Come  boat  me  ower,  come  row  me  ower, 

Come,  boat  me  ower  to  Charlie. 

I'll  gie  John  Ross  another  bawbee. 

To  ferry  me  ower  to  Charlie. 

We'll  ower  the  water  and  ower  the  sea. 

We'll  ower  the  water  to  Charlie. 

Come  weel,  come  woe,  we'll  gather  and  go, 

And  live  and  die  wi'  Charlie. 

This  possibility  is  perhaps  strengthened  by  the  fact  that  the  dance  is  so  similar 
to  the  Scotch  and  also  by  Mr.  Gummere's  statement  (Scottish  Songs,  vol.  I,  p.  4)  that 
"by  far  the  greater  part  of  these  political  (Jacobite)  canticles  are  merely  parodies  and 
imitations  of  other  songs."  The  evidence,  however,  is  certainly  not.  conclusive. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  107 

scales  upon  which  many  English  folk-tunes  are  constructed  are 
not  the  same  as  those  with  which  we  are  familiar  in  modern  music. 
They  are  generally  known  as  Greek  modes,  and  it  is  probable  that 
among  the  Greeks  the  early  scientific  musicians  derived  their 
modal  scales  from  a  study  of  the  folk-songs.80  Of  the  use  of  these' 
modes  in  English  folk-music  he  says;81  "The  majority  of  our 
English  folk-tunes,  say  two-thirds,82  are  in  the  major  or  ionian 
mode.83  The  remaining  third  is  fairly  evenly  divided  between  the 
mixolydian,  dorian  and  aeolian  modes,  with  perhaps,  a  preponder- 
ance in  favour  of  the  mixolydian.  These  figures  have  been  com- 
piled from  an  examination  of  my  own  collection;  but  I  believe 
they  accord  approximately  with  the  experiences  of  other  collec- 
tors." He  says  further  that  certain  singers  transpose  (perhaps 
unconsciously)  almost  every  song  into  one  particular  mode.84 
Besides  this,  in  certain  localities  there  are  preferences  for  particular 
modes.85 

Among  the  children's  songs  of  England  the  percentage  of 
ionian  tunes  is  very  much  higher.  In  fact  we  have  not  found  one 
which  does  not  have  a  tune  in  the  ionian  mode,  no  matter  how 
many  it  may  have  in  other  modes.  So  it  is  nothing  more  than 
might  be  expected,  that  we  find  only  one  tune  which  does  not 
conform  to  the  ionian  or  major  mode.  It  is  also  an  interesting 
fact  that  this  one  song86  in  the  aeolian  mode  gives  evidence  of  age. 

The  minor  scale  which  is  found  only  in  composed  tunes  or 
in  folk-airs  that  have  suffered  corruption  is  very  singularly  absent 
from  the  play-party  songs.  Much  of  the  later  folk-music  of 
England,  which  got  into  operas  and  dance-books  and  even  a  part 
of  that  which  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  folk  has  by  means 


80  C.  J.  Sharp.  English  Folk-Song,  p.  36. 

81  Ibid,  p.  55. 

82  Mr.  Sharp  (English  Folk-Song,  p.  55)  makes  the  statement  that,  "with  many 
folk  singers  the  proportion  of  modal  songs  is  much  larger  than  one  third,  indeed  some 
of  them  sing  almost  exclusively  in  the  modes." 

83  The  following  statement  is,  I  think  true  of  the  American  play-party  songs  as 
well  as  of  English  folk-songs  but  perhaps  to  a  less  degree. 

"It  is  not  necessary  to  attribute  this  large  proportion  of  ionian  tunes  to  modern 
influence,  for  the  folk  have  always  shown  a  special  predilection  for  that  mode.  It 
was,  indeed,  because  of  its  popularity  with  the  common  people  that  the  Church 
dubbed  it  the  'modus  lascivus,'  and  prohibited  it  from  use  in  Divine  Office."  (C.  J. 
Sharp.  English  Folk-Song,  p.  55). 

84  English  Folk-Song,  p.  126. 

85  Lectures  delivered  before  the  Quadrangle  Club  and  at  the  Little  Theatre, 
Chicago,  April  13  and  14,  1915. 

86  Weevily  wheat.     Of  this  game,  Mr.   G.  M.   Miller  (Univ.  Studies.   Univ.  of 
Cincinnati.   Ser.  I,  p.  31)  says,  "The  song  for  the  Virginia  Reel  was  probably  as  old  in 
parts  as  the  original  of  the  dance  itself,  the  old  Sir  Roger  De  Coverly  contra  dance. 
Others  going  pretty  far  back  were  'Weevily  Wheat'  and  'Pop  Goes  the  Weasel.'  " 


108  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

• 

of  small  changes  been  transformed  from  the  dorian,  phrygian  and 
aeolian  modes,  and  made  to  conform  to  the  minor  scale.  The 
total  absence  of  minor  from  play-party  music  gives  rise  to  the 
suggestion  that  perhaps  the  majority  of  English  folk-tunes  which 
were  brought  to  America  were  introduced  at  the  time  of  the  early 
settlements  and  that  these  served  as  models  for  the  later  develop- 
ment of  the  more  recent  tunes. 

Whether  this  be  true  or  not,  this  one  song  in  the  aeolian  mode 
is  evidence  of  the  transfer  of  modal  music  to  America.  The  tune 
was  taken  down  from  the  singing  of  a  man  who  learned  it  over 
thirty  years  ago  when  it  was  popular  at  the  play-parties. 

The  first  tune  to  "Weevily  Wheat"  given  above,  is  the  one 
that  is  known  today.  It  is  quite  possible  that  a  more  extended 
search  for  these  songs  among  the  older  people  would  bring  to 
light  many  such  instances  as  this,  for  with  four  or  five  exceptions 
the  songs  in  this  collection  were  taken  down  from  the  young  people, 
between  fifteen  and  twenty-four  years  of  age.87  This  contrasts 
strikingly  with  Mr.  Sharp's  statement  that,  in  England,  he  found 
no  songs  worth  the  taking,  among  persons  who  were  under  seventy 
years  of  age  and  that  the  music  to  the  dances  came  from  persons 
of  mature  age. 

Although  we  have  not  been  able  to  trace  this  song  back  to  any 
definite  English  tune,  this  study  leads  us  to  a  choice  between  two 
possibilities:  first,  the  tune  had  a  source  in  a  British  folk-song 
(or  dance)  which  is  lost  or  whose  original  cannot  now  be  recognized, 
or  second,  the  modes  were  not  unusual  (at  any  rate  not  unknown), 
at  the  time  the  song  was  composed  or  adapted  in  America.  The 
latter  is  perhaps  the  more  probable. 

We  may  well  notice  other  features  which  evince  a  connection 
between  English  and  American  folk-music.  Mr.  Sharp  in  sum- 
marizing his  results  says,88  "Folk-tunes  do  not  modulate."  In 
no  tune  of  this  or  any  published  collection  of  play-party  songs, 
is  there  any  modulation.  He  says  further,  "Folk-melodies  are 
non-harmonic;  that  is  to  say,  they  have  been  fashioned  by  those 
in  whom  the  harmonic  sense  is  undeveloped."  This  is  strikingly 
shown  in  the  play-party  song  by  the  absence  of  part-singing.  The 
absence  of  instrumental  music  emphasizes  this  lack  of  harmoniza- 
tion. 

There  is  another  resemblance  between  English  folk-songs  and 


87  The  exceptions  are,  "Billy  Boy,"  "No  Sir,"  "Nora,  Darling,"  "Marching  to 
Quebec"  and  "Here  Comes  a  Queen  from  Dover." 

88  English  Folk-Song,  p.  88* 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  109 

the  music  to  the  play-party  games,  Sailor  and  King  William.  It 
was  a  common  characteristic  in  the  English  folk-songs  that  the 
first  stanza  would  end  upon  some  tone  other  than  the  tonic;  each 
succeeding  stanza  of  the  song  merely  repeated  this  until  the  last 
stanza  concluded  the  piece  by  ending  on  the  tonic.  The  theory  is 
that  the  repetition  of  the  former  ending  fixed  it  in  the  minds  of  the 
singers  while  the  tonic  ending,  being  less  used,  tended  in  time  to 
fade  from  memory.  So  there  remain  many  English  songs  which 
have  lost  the  final  ending  and  the  music  has  no  point  of  rest. 
The  following  play-party  tunes  seem  to  belong  to  this  peculiar 
class  and  indicate  a  close  relation  to  this  type  of  English  folk- 
music.  "What  Shall  We  Do  with  the  Drunken  Sailor?"  "King 
William,"  "Itiskit"  and  "Down  in  Jay  Bird  Town." 

We  find,  also,  one  tune,  that  to  "Old  Chimney  Sweeper," 
which  seems  to  indicate  a  fundamental  connection  with  the  old 
folk-music  of  Scotland  and  Ireland.  It  was  formed  on  the  scale 
of  five  tones,  corresponding  to  our  tonic,  second,  third,  fifth  and 
sixth.  This  pentatonic  scale  can  still  be  seen  in  old  popular  songs 
of  Scotland  and  Ireland,  as,  for  instance,  in  an  early  form  of  Annie 
Laurie.  The  fact  that  this  same  sort  of  scale  lives  in  an  Indiana 
play-party  game  leads  us  to  the  same  conclusion  as  that  stated 
with  regard  to  modal  music.  It  is  probable  that  this  tune  came 
from  Scotland  or  Ireland,  or  that  music  based  on  the  pentatonic 
scale  was  familiar  enough  in  America  to  influence  new  composi- 
tions. 

As  Mr.  Sharp  sees  in  the  folk-music  of  England  the  themes  for 
her  future  composed  music  and  the  possibility  of  a  school  of  music 
which  will  be  truly  national,  so  Mr.  Barrie  anticipates  the  great 
value  of  American  folk-music  to  the  American  composers.  He 
says,  "The  melodies  to  which  folk-songs  are  sung  in  America  are 
of  infinite  variety,  and  in  many  instances  rarely  beautiful.  To 
this  source  the  composer  of  the  future,  who  shall  found  a  school  of 
American  music,  will  turn  for  his  inspiration."89 


89  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXII,  pp.  72-81. 


PART  III. 
CLASSIFICATION  OF  PLAY-PARTY  GAMES. 

Any  classification  of  these  games  according  to  subject  matter 
or  incident  is  very  unsatisfactory.  They  have  not  the  narrative 
of  the  ballad  and  often  lack  the  dramatic  consistency  of  the  ordi- 
nary children's  games.  In  many  instances  the  words  are  little 
more  than  directions  for  the  dance,  so  that  it  would  require  many 
conjectures  as  to  the  origin  of  the  games  before  a  systematization 
based  on  subject  matter  would  be  possible. 

With  the  exception  of  the  three  dialogue  songs,  Billy  Boy, 
Nora  Darling  and  No  Sir  all  in  this  collection  are  dance-games. 
Only  three,  Getting  Married,  Kilamakrankie  and  Little  Sally 
Walker  are  marriage  games.1 

There  are  a  number  in  which  choosing  is  the  most  important 
feature.  In  this  class  are:  Farmer  in  the  Well,  Here  Come  Four 
Dukes,  King  William,  London  Bridge,2  Miller  Boy,  Needle's 
Eye,3  Pig  in  the  Parlor,  Skip-to-my-Lou,  Cuckoo  Waltz,  Melven 
Vine,  Old  Chimney  Sweeper,  Old  Dan  Tucker,  Sally  Walker  and 
Itiskit.  It  is  interesting  to  find  that,  in  general,  these  are  the 
games  which  now  belong  exclusively  to  the  children,  for  Farmer 
in  the  Well,  Here  Come  Four  Dukes,  King  William,  London 
Bridge,.  Sally  Walker  and  Itiskit4  are  not  played  by  the  young 
people.2  Mulberry  Bush  with  its  imitation  of  work  and  Walk 
Along,  John,  are  the  only  children's  games  which  are  not  those 
of  choosing.  Old  Dan  Tucker,  Miller  Boy,  Old  Chimney  Sweeper 
and  Cuckoo  Waltz  are  the  only  games  of  this  group  which  belong 
exclusively  to  the  young  people.  Thirty  years  ago,  practically 
every  choosing  game  was  also  a  "kissing  game."  This  was  often 
brought  about  by  the  paying  of  forfeits  and  the  redeeming  of 


1  Of  marriage  games,  Mrs.  Gomme  (Trad.  Games,  vol.  ii,  p.  46)  gives  twenty- 
nine  and  among  them  are:   Jolly  Miller,  King  William,  Round  and  Round  the  Village, 
and  Sally  Walker. 

2  The  reason  for  including  these  in  this  collection  is  the  fact  that  it  is  so  difficult  to 
discriminate  between  the  children's  and  the  young  people's  games.     Many  which  I 
believed  to  belong  exclusively  to  the  children,  have  been  found  to  be  very  popular 
play-party  games. 

3  This  becomes  virtually  a  choosing  game  because  the  arch-makers  agree  upon 
whom  they  shall  take  as  prisoner,  in  advance,  and  time  the  song  accordingly. 

4  Itiskit,  is  now  played  at  the  play-party  but  not  as  a  singing  game. 


(110) 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  Ill 

• 

these  in  queer  ways.5     Today,  the  "kissing  games"  are  either  not 
played  or  have  been  changed  so  as  to  omit  this  characteristic  feature. 

In  the  place  of  the  choosing  of  partners  has  come,  it  seems, 
a  further  development  of  the  dance.  In  the  children's  games, 
when  the  choosing  is  over,  they  merely  repeat  the  performance 
until  it  becomes  too  monotonous  to  amuse  any  longer.  In  only 
two6  of  the  play-party  games  of  thirty  years  ago  does  there  seem 
to  have  been  any  kind  of  progressive  figures  in  the  dance.  In 
six  of  the  more  recent  ones,  viz.  All  Chaw  Hay,  Getting  Upstairs, 
Greenleaf,  Star  Promenade,  Tideo  and  Way  Down  in  the  Paw  Paw 
Patch,  there  is  the  following  device  for  lengthening  and  complicat- 
ing the  dance.  At  the  end  of  the  first  movement,  each  girl  be- 
comes partner  to  the  boy  who  was  formerly  at  her  right.  With 
each  repetition  of  the  movement  she  has  a  different  partner,  until 
all  players  are  in  their  original  positions. 

Although  the  dramatic  element  would  hardly  offer  a  basis  for 
classification  of  these  games,  it  is  a  very  important  feature.  To 
point  out  all  of  the  indications  of  this  would  be  useless,  but  cer- 
tainly a  few  points  are  worth  noting;  in  All  Go  Down  to  Rowser's, 
the  raising  of  the  hand  as  if  it  were  the  glass  of  beer;  the  sowing, 
of  seed  in  Thus  the  Farmer  Sows  his  Seed;  the  acting  of  the  skippers 
in  Skip-to-my-Lou;  the  part  of  the  person  in  the  center  of  the 
circle  in  both  Miller  Boy  and  Pig  in  the  Parlor,  the  dialogue 
choruses  in  the  Four  Dukes  and  the  boys'  choruses  of  Hay-o-my- 
Lucy-o,  also  the  flirting  in  this  and  in  Molly  Brooks.  When 
proper  or  common  names  are  used,  there  is  usually  some  person 
in  the  game  to  represent  this  character  for  example,  Lucy, 
Topsy  and  Jumbo,  the  pig,  the  miller  boy,  the  four  dukes,  the 
old  chimney  sweeper  and  the  Queen  from  Dover.  In  Tideo  the 
spaces  between  the  opposing  lines  represent  windows  and  in  Go 
in  and  out  the  Windows,  the  spaces  between  the  players  and  under 
their  joined  hands  represent  the  same  thing.  The  same  sort  of 


5  The  pawns  given  were  usually  trinkets  of  jewelry  such  as  rings,  breast-pins  or 
bracelets.    At  the  end  of  the  game  these  were  sold;  that  is  one  person,  the  seller,  sat  in 
a  chair  and  another  person  took  one  of  the  forfeits,  and  holding  it  over  his  head  said, 
"Heavy,  heavy  hangs  over  your  head.     What'll  you  do  to  redeem  it?"    The  seller 
replied,  "Fine  or  superfine?"  If  the  forfeit  belonged  to  a  girl  the  answer  was,  "superfine" 
if  to  a  boy,  the  answer  was  "fine."  The  seller  then  prescribed  some  embarrassing  action 
which  the  owner  must  perform  before  he  (or  she)  could  get  back  the  forfeit.    These 
penalties  were  often  ludicrous.    If  a  girl  was  told  to  pick  a  quart  of  cherries  with  her 
partner  she  had  to  sit  on  his  right  knee  and  give  him  a  kiss.     If  the  penalty  was  two 
quarts  she  had  to  sit  on  his  left  knee  and  give  him  two  kisses.       Another  penalty  was 
to  "play  Thunder."   The  person  had  to  stand  on  a  chair  and  reach  just  as  high  as  pos- 
sible while  the  crowd  taunted  him  about  not  reaching  high  enough. 

6  Old  Brass  Wagon  and  Weevily  Wheat. 


112  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

imitation  of  objects  are  those  of  the  six  pronged  star-formation  of 
the  Star  Promenade  and  the  double  circle  or  wheel  formation 
which,  as  the  players  circle  left  represents  the  turning  of  the  mill 
wheel.  These  details  are  most  inadequate,  for  certain  players 
interpret  almost  every  movement  as  having  a  dramatic  signifi- 
cance. This  accounts  very  largely  for  the  liveliness  of  the  dance, 
the  absence  of  sentimental,  vulgar  or  unnatural  movements  and 
the  permanent  attraction  of  the  games. 

The  classification  of  the  play-party  games  with  respect  to 
the  dance  is  the  most  satisfactory.  Even  this  cannot  be  absolutely 
accurate  for  the  types  overlap,  but  there  are  three  main  forms — 
the  arch,  the  circle  and  the  long-ways, — which  have  distinctive 
features.  In  the  arch  type,  one  couple  clasp  each  others  hands, 
hold  their  arms  high  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  arch,  and  beneath 
this  arch  all  of  the  other  players  skip  in  single  file.  The  children's 
game,  London  Bridge  and  the  antiquated  play-party  game, 
Needle's  Eye,  are  of  this  class.  Of  this  type,  Mrs.  Gomme  finds 
fourteen  in  England.7  She  considers  this  sort  of  game,  with  its 
taking  of  prisoners  and  its  tug  of  war  to  be  a  relic  of  the  primitive 
struggle  for  territory. 

Of  the  second  type,  the  circle-form,  there  are  very  many  varia- 
tions. The  first  position  is  the  same  in  almost  every  case,  how- 
ever. All  join  hands,  the  girls  being  at  the  right  of  their  partners 
and  all  facing  center.  Following  this  may  come  a  grand  right 
and  left  passing,  a  star  figure  or  a  promenade.  The  majority  of 
the  play-party  games  are  of  this  type.  The  following  is  the  list : 

All  Chaw  Hay  on  the  Corner. 

Captain  Jinks. 

Chase  the  Buffalo. 

Cincinnati  Girls. 

Coffee  Grows  in  a  White  Oak  Tree. 

Cuckoo  Waltz. 

Down  in  Jay  Bird  Town. 

Fare  Thee  Well. 

Farmer  in  the  Well. 

Getting  Upstairs. 

Girl  I  Left  Behind  Me. 

Greenleaf. 
*Here  We  Go  Round  the  Mulberry  Bush. 

Hunt  the  Buffalo. 
*Itiskit. 

Kilamakrankie. 
*King  William. 


7  Trad.  Games,  vol.  II,  p.  480. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  113 

Marching  to  Quebec. 
*Miller  Boy. 

Molly  Brooks. 

Old  Brass  Wagon. 

Old  Chimney  Sweeper. 

Old  Dan  Tucker. 

Old  Sister  Phoebe. 

Paw-Paw  Patch. 

Pig  in  the  Parlor. 

Pop  Goes  the  Weasel. 

Six  Little  Girls  A-Sliding  Went. 

Skip-to-my-Lou. 

Star  Promenade. 
*Thus  the  Farmer  Sows  His  Seed. 

Tideo. 

Uncle  Johnie's  Sick  a-Bed. 

Wait  for  the  Wagon. 

Walk  Along,  John. 
*Sally  Walker.s 

The  American  circle-form  game  is,  beyond  doubt,  connected 
with  that  of  England.  Whether  it  represents  such  primitive 
customs  of  tribal  relationship  as  Mrs.  Gomme  would  believe,  I 
should  not  venture  to  say  but  certainly  there  are  games  of  this 
type  which  are  survivals  and  also  those  which  are  descendants  of 
the  circle  dances  of  the  English  summer  festivals  and  especially 
that  of  the  May-Day. 

Of  the  line-form  game  as  Mrs.  Gomme  describes  it,9  only  one 
example  is  found  in  Ripley  County.  That  is  the  children's  game, 
Here  Come  Four  Dukes.  Two  lines  are  formed,  with  the  children 
of  one  line  facing  those  of  the  other  and  at  a  distance  of  six  steps. 
Thpse  in  each  line  join  hands,  and  advance,  and  retire,  in  turn, 
while  singing  their  part.  There  are  many  other  games  which 
belong  to  the  same  general  type  as  this;  some  of  them  are,  Go  to 
Boston,  Wait  for  the  Wagon,  Paw-Paw  Patch,  Weevily  Wheat, 
Hay-o-My-Lucy-o,  Dem  Golden  Slippers,  Chase  the  Squirrel, 
Down  the  River  and  Here  Comes  a  Queen  from  Dover.  I  have 
called  these  "long-ways"10  dances  instead  of  line-form  games  for 

8  There  are  forty-four  circle-form  games  in  England  and  those  starred  in  the 
above  list  have  parallels   in    Mrs.   Gomme's  dictionary  of  children's  games.     Trad. 
Games,  vol.  ii,  p.  476. 

In  explanation  of  these  games  Mrs.  Gomme  says:  "The  circle  games  I  con- 
sider to  be  survivals  of  dramatic  representations  of  customs  performed  by  people  of 
one  village  or  of  one  town  or  tribe — representations  of  social  customs  of  one  place  or 
people,  as  distinct  from  the  'line'  form  of  games,  which  represents  a  custom  obtaining 
between  two  rival  villages  or  tribes.  Thus  I  am  inclined  to  consider  the  joining  of 
hands  in  a  circle  as  a  sign  of  amity,  alliance  and  kinship."  (Trad.  Games,  vol.  ii, 
pp.  478-9). 

9  Trad.  Games,  vol.  ii,  p.  475. 

10  Definition  of  terms  at  the  beginning  of  Part  II. 


114  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

various  reasons.11  First,  the  line-form  game  is  misleading  for 
the  position  is  really  that  of  a  double  line,  with  the  lines  facing 
each  other.  The  term  "long-ways"  dance,  which  Mr.  Sharp  uses 
in  his  descriptions  of  the  English  country  dance12  is  certainly 
the  best  one  for  describing  these  nine  play-party  games.  It 
gives  the  correct  idea  as  to  the  position  of  the  dancers  on  the  floor, 
and  also  suggests  the  character  of  the  principal  figures.  The 
necessity  of  borrowing  comes  from  the  fact  that  there  is  no  Ameri- 
can term  for  this  kind  of  folk-dance. 

Weevily  Wheat  is  perhaps  as  typical  of  this  type  of  dance  as 
any  of  the  nine.  The  arch  which  is  so  important  a  figure  in 
Virginia  Reel13  is  lacking  in  this  game  but  is  present  in  Way  Down 
in  the  Paw-Paw  Patch.  In  Hay-o-My-Lucy-o  the  formation  is 
varied.  The  partners  are  opposite  but  in  each  line  there  is  alterna- 
tion of  a  boy,  then  a  girl,  next  a  boy  and  so  on.  The  flirting  in 
this  game  suggests  that  of  the  country  dance,  The  Merry  Conceit, 
though  there  is  no  evidence  to  indicate  that  the  two  have  not 
developed  separately.  Of  all  the  play-party  games,  those  of  this 
class,  it  seems  to  me,  show  the  greatest  evidence  of  remaking  in 
America,  and  show  this  to  such  an  extent  that  they  have  become 
truly  American  folk-dances.14 

These  games  which  belong  peculiarly  to  the  play-party,  are  not 
confined  to  Ripley  County  nor  even  to  Indiana.  Variations  of 
these  and  other  games  of  the  same  character  are  played  in  Mis- 
souri, but  there  they  seem  to  be  rapidly  disappearing.15  Professor 
G.  M.  Miller,  while  speaking  of  the  play-party  says,  "I  know 
that  the  same  old  games  we  used  at  parties  in  Indiana  were  stuill 
used  for  dancing  in  the  State  of  Washington  three  years  ago," 
and  he  also  gives  proof  of  the  existence  of  the  play-party  in  Eastern 
Tennessee  at  the  present  time.16 

An  informant  assures  me  that  many  of  these  games  were 
danced  by  white  people  in  the  rural  communities  near  Dallas, 
Texas,  three  years  ago.  There,  an  old  fiddler  played  while 
another  man  sang  the  song  and  called  off  the  dance.  The  young 
people  merely  went  through  the  various  figures  of  the  dances.17 

11  Wait  for  the  Wagon,  is  not  typically  a  long- ways  dance  but  it  has  several 
features  which  would  indicate  that  it  belonged  to  this  class. 

12  C.  J.  Sharp.  The  Country  Dance  Book. 

13  It  will  be  remembered  that  Weevily  Wheat  is  danced  with  the  identical  figures 
of  Virginia  Reel,  with  the  exception  noted  above. 

14  Classification  of  the  dances  to  the  play-party  games  may  be  a  valuable  basis 
for  determining  the  date  of  their  introduction  into  America. 

15  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII,  p.  303.     Ibid.  vol.  XXIV,  p.  297. 

16  Univ.  Studies  of  Univ.  of  Cincinnati,  vol.  1.  D.  31. 

17  This  is  perhaps  an  intermediate  stage  between  the  play-party  proper  and  the 
pure  dance  without  singing. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  115 

.The  presence  of  certain  play-party  games  among  the  negro 
young  people  of  Louisiana  indicates  that  the  white  people  knew 
these  dances  until  rather  recently.18 

Mr.  Newell,  speaking  of  the  amusements  in  New  England 
towns  a  generation  ago,  says:  "In  these,  dancing  was  confined  to 
one  or  two  balls  in  the  course  of  the  year.  At  other  times  the 
amusements  of  young  people  at  their  gatherings  was  'playing 
games'  .  .  .  Such  were  the  pleasures  of  young  men  and  women 
from  sixteen  to  twenty-five  years  of  age."19 

When  I  find  traces  of  the  play-party  in  districts  so  widely 
scattered,  and  in  only  remote  places,  and  then  consider  how  rapidly 
it  has  disappeared  in  many  of  these  places,  I  am  led  to  believe 
that  the  play-party  was  once  an  important  feature  of  practically 
all  the  rural  and  especially  the  frontier  life  in  the  United  States.20 

The  very  nature  of  the  play-party  explains  why  it  has  been 
overlooked  by  writers  of  the  past21  and  by  folklorists  of  more 
recent  time.  The  interest  in  folk  poetry  as  literature  is  modern. 
Even  at  present,  the  collectors  find  that  the  persons  who  know  and 
enjoy  the  folk-songs  are  reticent  about  broaching  the  subject  to 
strangers.  Furthermore,  the  play-party  itself  does  not  attract 
attention  in  the  local  newspapers. 

In  view  of  these  facts,  I  think  we  need  not  consider  the  lack 
of  records  as  absolute  proof  that  the  play-party  was  not  existing 
long  ago.  However,  these  facts  do  indicate,  it  seems  to  me,  that 
the  environment  in  certain  localities  has  been  rather  favorable 
to  the  development  of  American  folk-games  away  from  their 
English  originals.  By  virtue  of  changes  that  have  been  made,  I 
am  inclined  to  believe  that  there  has  developed  an  American  folk- 
dance  which  is  distinctive  and  which  is  not,  as  Mr.  Sharp  would 
have  us  believe,  merely  a  copy  of  that  of  England  or  of  any  other 
country.22 


18  Henry  C.  Davis.   Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXVII,  pp.  249-254. 

19  Games  and  Songs,  p.  5. 

20  Mr.  Miller,  (Univ.  Stud,  of  Univ.  of  Cincinnati.  Vol.  I,  p.  31)  and  Mr.  Newell 
(Games  and  Songs,  pp.  5-6-12)  think  the  play-party  was  formerly  very  widely  known. 

21  In  the  Music  Master  of  Playford,  1668,  only  three  or  four  of  the  folk  melodies 
were  left  in  their  original  form  and  until  recently  the  folk-music  of  England  was  vir- 
tually unknown  to  musicians. 

22  In  his  lectures  in  Chicago,  April  13  and  14,  1915,  Mr.  Sharp  said  that  the  United 
States  had  no  folk-lore  of  its  own.  for  all  of  that  which  at  first  seemed  to  have  originated 
here  could  be  traced  back  to  some  other  country.     Although  he  deplored  our  barren 
fate,  he  did  suggest  that  Americans  turn  for  inspiration  to  the  folk-music  of  England, 
"for,"  to  use  his  own  words,  "the  songs  are  at  least  in  your  own  tongue." 


116  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY.     PERIODICALS. 

.Ames,  Mrs.  L.  D. — The  Missouri  Play-Party.  Journal  of  Ameri- 
can Folk-lore.  Vol.  XXIV:  295-318. 

As  Sally  Sat  A-Weeping.  Journal  of  the  Folk  Song  Society. 
111,291. 

Babcock,  W.  H. — Games  of  Washington  Children.  American 
Anthropology.  1. 

Backus,  E.  S. — Song  Games  from  Connecticut.  Jour.  Am.  Folk- 
lore. Vol.  XIV. 

Ballad  of  America,  The.    Bookworm,  Vol.  1 :103. 

Ballads  in  America.    Nation.    98:  1289,  Vol.  F.  14. 

Barry,  Phillips. — The  Collection  of  Folk-Song.  Jour.  Am.  Folk- 
lore. 1914:  77-78;  Folk-Music  in  America.  Jour.  Am.  Folk- 
lore, vol.  XXII:  72-81;  The  Origin  of  Folk-Melodies.  Jour. 
Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXIII:  440-445;  The.  Transmission  of 
Folk-Song.  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  vol.  XXII :  67-77. 

Belden,  Henry  Marvin. — The  Study  of  Folk-Song  in  America. 
Modern  Philology,  Vol.  II :  573-579. 

Burne,  Charlotte  S. — Souling,  dementing  and  Catterning. 
Folk-lore,  vol.  XXV.  285-299. 

Campbell,  O.  D. — Songs  and  Ballads  of  the  Southern  Mountains. 
Survey,  Vol.  XXIII :  371-4.  Ja.  2,  '15. 

Canning,  Negro  Melodies;  Literary  Digest.  52: 1556. 

Davis,  Henry  C. — Negro  Folk-lore  in  South  Carolina.  Jour.  Am. 
Folk-lore  Sept. '14.  241-254. 

Edmands,  Lila  W. — Songs  from  the  Mountains  of  North  Carolina. 
Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore,  Vol.  VI:  131-134. 

Fare  Thee  Well.    Jour.  F.  S.  S.  Vol.  II:  201. 

Florida  Song  Games.    Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore.    XV:193-4. 

Folk-Song  and  Popular  Poetry  by  W.  W.  N.  Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore. 
VIII:  94. 

Folk-Song  of  Recent  Origin.  Literary  Digest.  '14.  XLVIII, 
985. 

Folk-Songs  in  the  South.    Living  Age.    Jl.  4,  '14.  282,  27-33 

Fuller  Sisters.— Harper's  Weekly.    Vol.  LVIII,  25,  Ja.  31,  '14. 

Hamilton,  Goldy  M. — The  Play-Party  in  Northeastern  Missouri. 
Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore.  July,  '14.  Vol.  XXVII,  289-303; 

Journal  of  the  Folk-Song  Society.    Volumes  1,  2,  3  and  4. 

Krehbiel,  H.  E. — Southern  Song  Games.  New  York  Tribune. 
July  27  and  Aug.  4, 1902. 


THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  117 

MacDonagh,  Michael. — The  Ballads  of  the  People.       19th  Cen- 
tury.   LIV:  458-471. 
Miles,  Emma  Bell. — Some  Real  American  Music.    Harper's  Mag. 

J.  1904.    Vol.  CIX,  pp.  118-123. 
Newell,   W.    W. — Springfield    Mountain.     Jour.    Am.    Folk-lore. 

Vol.  XIII. 

Old  Kentucky  Ballads.    Berea  Quarterly.    1901. 
Peas,  Beans,  Oats  and  the  Barley.    Jour.  F.  S.  S.  1:67. 
Perrow,  E.  C. — Songs  and  Rhymes  from  the  South.     Jour.  Am. 

Folk-lore.    1913.    Vol.  XXVI:  123-173. 
Pierce,  Grace  Adele. — In  Old  Ballad  Days.    Chautauqua.   Apr. 

1912.    Vol.  XXXV,  pp.  595-99. 
Piper,  Edwin  F. — -Some-Play-Party  Games  of  the  Middle  West. 

Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore.    XXVIII  262-289. 
Robinson,  Frances. — Folk  Music.       Current  Literature.     XXX: 

350-51. 
Stevens,  Austin  M. — The  Warrior  Bard,  Ancient  and  Modern. 

Westminster  Review.    CLIII :  257-60. 
Tolman,  A.  H. — Some  Songs  Traditional  in  the  United  States. 

Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore.    XXIX  :179. 
Wedgwood,  Harriet  L. — The  Play-Party.     Jour.  Am.  Folk-lore. 

XV.  268-273. 


118  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY.     BOOKS  OR  PARTS  OP  BOOKS. 

Bancroft,  Jessie  H. — Games  for  the  Playground.   MacMillan  Co., 

New  York,  1910. 
Baring  Gould,  S. — English  Minstrelsie.    8  volumes.    Grange  Pub. 

Co.,  Edinburgh. 

Baring  Gould,  S. — A  Book  of  Nursery  Songs  and  Rhymes.    Lon- 
don, 1895. 
Baring   Gould,   S. — and   Sharp,   C.   J.      English  Folk-Songs  for 

Schools.  Carwen  &  Co.,  London. 
Baring  Gould,  S.  and  Sheppard. — A  Garland  of  Country  Song. 

Methuen  &  Co.,  London,  1898. 
Bell,    Robert. — Ancient    Poems,    Ballads    and    Songs.       Introd. 

London,  1857. 

Bergguist,  Nils  W.— Swedish  Folk  Dances,  pp.  29  ff,  1910. 
Burchenal,    Elizabeth. — Folk  Dances  and   Singing   Games.      G. 

Schirmer,  New  York,  1909. 
Chambers,    E.    K. — Mediaeval   Stage,    two    volumes.      Vol.    I. 

Oxford,  1903. 

Chambers,  Robert. — Popular  Rhymes  of  Scotland.   London,  1870. 
Chappell,    W. — Old    English    Popular    Music.      Repub.       New 

York,  1893. 
Chappell,    W. — Popular    Music    of   the    Olden    Time.     2    vols. 

London,  1859*. 
Child,  F.   J. — English  and   Scottish   Popular  Ballads.      5  vols. 

Boston,  1882-98. 
Cooke,    James    Francis. — Standard    History    of    Music.       Theo. 

Presser  Co.,  Philadelphia,  1910. 
Ditchfield,  P.  H.— Old  English  Customs.    London,  1901. 

Old  English  Sports.    London,  1891. 
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Gomme,    Mrs.    Alice    B. — Children's    Singing    Games.      2   vols. 

David  Nutt.  London,  1894. 
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London,  1898. 

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York,  1901. 

Gummere,  F.  B.— Old  English  Ballads.    Boston,  1894,  1899. 
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THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA.  119 

Halliwell,  J.  0. — Popular  Ryhmes  and  Nursery  Tales.   1849. 

Hammond,  H.  E.  D.  and  Sharp,  C.  J. — Folk-Songs  from  Dorset- 
shire. Novello  &  Co.,  London. 

Hanson,  J.  M. — Frontier  Ballads.  A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co.,  Chicago, 
1910. 

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Hofer,  Mari  Ruef. — Popular  Folk  Games  and  Dances.  Chicago, 
1907. 

Hornby,  John. — The  Joyous  Book  of  Singing  Games.  MacMillan 
&  Co.  New  York,  1914. 

Ideal  Home  Music  Library.  Vol.  10.  Chas.  Scribner,  New  York, 
1913. 

Johnson,  G.  E. — Education  by  Plays  and  Games,  pp.  130-150. 
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Krehbiel,  Henry  Edward. — Afro-American  Folk-Songs.  G. 
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Letourneau,  Charles. — L'Evolution  Litteraire.    Paris,  1894. 

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Moulton,  R.  G. — The  Ancient  Classical  Drama.   Oxford,  1896. 

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120  THE  PLAY-PARTY  IN  INDIANA. 

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Tylor,  E.  B. — Anthropology.   London,  1881. 
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Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.   Boston,  1894. 


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